Agent Shadow
by lezaanv
Summary: Shadow's mission: track down an unknown enemy, who could become a threat to the Pegasus Galaxy - and to Earth. Objective: eliminate this enemy without Atlantis knowing about it. But, all goes horribly wrong, and the people kept in the dark, are the very ones that can help defeat this new threat. Setting: AU...Atlantis still in Pegasus Galaxy Time: During season 5.
1. Chapter 1

**Introduction**

Mist was drifting aimlessly above the dark palace, heavily guarded by Italy's finest military. Amongst the guards was a woman disguised as a top military officer. What they don't know was that this officer was a skilful spy working for the USA. There was no one better to barge through this barricade. Her name: Special Agent Shadow.

Shadow started out as someone who loved to be adventurous, this spilled over into: hunting, tracking, sword fighting, shooting and archery. Never did she think her skill-set would offer her a chance to infiltrate the toughest, most secretive places that remained unknown to civilians around the world.

She slipped away unnoticed from the guardhouse and moved over to the east side of the Palace. _I can do this. I just have to climb up this drainpipe, then I'll be in lion's den. Your secret is out, Mr President. No longer will you hide your precious art collection away from your country!_

Within a few seconds, she was in the main room and darted to her left along a corridor, then right, entering into a small room. She gently walked over to where the safe was and took out a small device that quickly deciphered the safe's lock. Quietly, she opened the safe. _Nice to have gadgets to do this._

 _Awesome, got the map to the President's collection. Looks like my next stop is Milan._

* * *

Special Agent Shadow, also known as Eva Sitwell, grew up in a small town near Washington, D.C., where her parents owned a farm allowing her to explore the nearby woods. She would get lost in there for hours on end. As she grew older, her fascination with adventure expanded into hunting and tracking. Her parents saw her talents and allowed her to attend archery and rifling school. However, it didn't end there – later, she enrolled into hand-to-hand combat and sword fighting; she liked all things ancient and primal. The desire to develop in these forms of sport was evident to all who knew her. On the side, she played baseball, which, in turn, gave her a competitive spirit, as well as accuracy and anticipation. She was to be the pick of the crop when she entered into military school.

After five years of dedicated service in the military's Special OPS Division, Eva received the rank of covert spy. Her faithfulness and willingness to submit to her superiors allowed for her fluent progression through the ranks. Her superiors saw her talent for analysis, strategy, and anticipation, which, in turn, found her working in the military's private sector. Eva's training in all forms of combat – ancient and modern – gave her the upper hand and, later on, helped see her appointed to doing secret solo missions. She had been working for the U.S. Government for three years, receiving her assignments straight from the Secretary of Defence.

Eva's favourite weaponry (dependent upon the mission) included: two Heckler Koch USP semi-automatic side arms with mounted flash lights, holstered on her thighs, and a XM8 compact assault rifle, whilst her ancient warfare collection included: twin-swords, most suitably strapped to her back, and a Recurve bow, with a quiver full of arrows.

Eva liked to be on her own, as this allowed her to analyse, investigate, plan and anticipate. No other people meant that she could do her work as efficiently and quickly as possible. Known for her stealthy techniques, Eva could go in and finish the job without the opponent knowing about it, hence her codename: Agent Shadow.

After successfully finishing her mission in Italy, she was approached by Star Gate Command, an organization that explored Galaxies in the hopes of finding other civilizations, similar to Earth, to exchange knowledge and technology with. Her newly assigned mission was to track down an unknown enemy who could become a threat to the Pegasus Galaxy – and to Earth.

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

SOMEWHERE IN THE PEGASUS GALAXY, Agent Shadow is currently on assignment with her new colleague Major Kyle Wilson. They are carrying out scouting missions for their leader, General Steven Caldwell – a stern, by-the-book military man – who is the Commander of Earth's advanced battle cruiser, Daedalus. Both Shadow and Wilson are newly assigned to the General and are in hot pursuit of a new lead in regards to their main investigation.

Six months ago, Star Gate Command approached Agent Shadow and asked her to join them on a secret mission. This mission was so classified; even the current S.G.C. team(s) knew nothing about it. At that time, she was curious as to why they would choose a civilian for the mission and not one of their own members. Later it was revealed to her, that her skill-set was the only thing attracting their attention. No one in their organization had the skills and expertise to better fulfil the task at hand.

Major Kyle Wilson, an outstanding military S.G.C. member, was to be the liaise between her and the General, as working with her on previous missions had given him the knowhow concerning the way she operated. As Agent Shadow would be the only outsider on the job, the General had to make sure that she'd obey the SGC's rules, otherwise it would be a nightmare. Wilson, 5.9 ft., with his tanned skin, dark brown eyes, and black hair, styled in the military-cut, was the best analytical soldier in the unit, allocated to the battle cruiser, Daedalus.

Well, almost the best . . . Shadow held the top position in _all_ areas of analyses and investigation. However, Wilson's task was to analyse her and report anything out of place. No one knew who she really was and what she had done before she agreed to join the S.G.C. The International Oversight Advisory was sceptical about appointing a civilian. They wanted it to remain in-house, as the people involved were the Star Gate Atlantis team, currently off-world in the Pegasus Galaxy. Moreover, the person who assigned her to the S.G.C. was the Secretary of Defence, having personally received the order directly from the President. This went deep, deeper than Shadow realized. She had never once received such a mission before and having given to her directly from the President, made her doubt her decision to submit.

She was an American spy who worked for the S.O.D., not the whole world – not to mention the whole Galaxy! There must have been plenty of other spies who would do anything for an opportunity like this . . . why not choose one of them, why her?

During a private conversation with the President, she had discovered the truth behind her appointment. No, she was the _only_ spy who could help with this expedition - and she was also the only spy who personally worked for the President. It seemed he wanted someone on the inside who could report on the work the I.O.A. and S.G.C. did involving the Atlantis Expedition. It was the only place that didn't allow the President to have a proper foothold, due to its being the first International Project in another Galaxy. Yet, having her there would provide that foothold.

The I.O.A. needed help and the President saw the opportunity to step in and monitor their operations. With his foot in the door, he could assess the threat coming their way. He made an oath to the American people to defend them at all cost – but how could he, if didn't know who his enemies were?

An I.O.A. spy came across a threat in the Pegasus Galaxy without Atlantis knowing about it. This threat was a new enemy who couldn't be identified, however, sources stumbled across victims of their latest attack. The damage was greater than that done by the life-sucking aliens whom Atlantis was currently dealing with. The Wraith were powerful, yes, but these aliens added more trouble to the Atlantis Expedition than that which they currently faced, and the I.O.A. didn't want to add more pressure to their current battle. If S.G.C. and the I.O.A. could handle this without their help or knowledge, they would never even know there had been a threat to begin with.

Agent Shadow, known for her stealthy, covert missions, was brought on board to scout the planets situated in the Pegasus Galaxy, and when the time came, to help eliminate the enemy. A special project had been opened for the purpose of her concealment, as far as possible. They wanted her to be invisible – really invisible. Just before they initiated their mission, the S.G.C. had made her invisibility possible by the completion of a human cloak. This device could make her disappear and reappear any time she wanted to. No one could see her. She was the ultimate covert spy.

The I.O.A. made it very clear that she wasn't to engage or reveal herself to anyone, especially the Atlantis Expedition. She must scout and report back on what she heard and saw. This enemy had no identity, so they didn't know who or even what they were looking for. The planets their previous spy had come across were to be revisited quietly and quickly to see the damage done. That was the starting point. Further developments were left to General Caldwell's direction. He, too, was under the President's wing and wanted to make sure that he received the proper information. No one knew of this agreement except Shadow. Anything that may lead to a war on Earth's side and they were to inform the President as soon as they could.

* * *

 **Romas** : attacked by unknown enemy

Agent Shadow and Major Wilson are doing reconnaissance work. Their mission: to track down some of the inhabitants who have gone into hiding since the last attack.

The whole planet is covered by dense forests and shrubbery, a disadvantage to outsiders who don't have tracking skills. For Wilson, it feels like he is back in boot camp, but for Shadow, it feels like _home_.

"This sucks . . . since when did I become an explorer?"

"Stop complaining, Wilson, this is nothing compared to what I've come across in the past."

"I can't imagine it, nor will I imagine it. I'm an analyst, not a backpacker."

"Do you call this backpacking? This is not backpacking, this is hunting and tracking - it's _exciting_!"

"For you yes . . . for me not so much. When will we reach the Romas village?"

"We're not going to the village, remember?"

"We're not? Thought you said we're headed for the closest village?" Wilson's eyes reveals frustration and dislike for the trek, causing her to giggle a little.

"I'm glad you're entertained." He says, managing to grin for a few seconds.

"Wilson, you've got to learn to relax and enjoy what you have around you, otherwise you'll turn into a lemon . . . sour."

Wilson stares at her as he climbs over a fallen tree trunk, with Shadow a few feet away, following a small path. "Back to civilization, please! I didn't sign up for this." Shadow halts, startling him. "What, what is it?" Wilson whispers as he darts towards her position. "What did you see?"

"Something's wrong . . . are you sure the Daedalus picked up signs of life on the planet?"

"Yes, it showed some on the eastern part of the planet, just a few clicks away from where we beamed down. Why?"

Shadow kneels down and looks at the path heading off to her right. Wilson gazes after her in the same direction. "This is the place, but no one is here. There are no tracks coming or going. Either they know how to disappear without leaving a footprint – or they know how to fly, with the latter being impossible."

Wilson looks up and scans the treetops hoping he might see something. It just makes him feel like he knows what's going on. "Didn't our source say some of them were brilliant trackers? They probably covered their tracks in the event of being tailed, by, let's say, us."

"Do you know who you are talking to? I know how to track those who don't want to be found."

"You can track someone's covered-up tracks?"

"Yes, I can. Look, they didn't cover their tracks because there were none to begin with."

"They couldn't have disappeared; we saw their signatures thirty minutes ago!" Shadow doesn't answer him, yet moves off the path, heading west. "Hey, wait!" Wilson calls out. "Where are you going? The path leads _this_ way."

"Clearly, they aren't here and it seems as if they stayed off the path . . . I would if I were them."

Wilson runs after her as she vanishes into the bushes. "How do you even know they went in this direction?"

She mutters something under her breath. It's evident the man is getting under her skin and the environment she's usually familiar with involved total quiet and peacefulness. She'd have to get used to someone tagging along. At least he wouldn't have to go with her on all the missions, just the ones already surveyed by their source. If it wasn't for his good looks, she would have knocked him out. She sighs . . . patience is the key.

"Before we were beamed down, I managed to scan the layout of the planet. There was a cave just west of these coordinates. It would be the perfect place to conceal yourself from humans and animals."

"I see, it's what you would do, right?"

"Yes, it is. Now, come along, you're wasting time. The quicker we get there, the quicker we can solve this mystery and get back to the rendezvous point." Shadow turns around to see his expression. It's one of discomfort. She smirks, thinking, _he calls himself a solider_. "Alright, my friend, let's get moving. I want to reach that cave before the sun goes down. With all these bushes and trees around, I wouldn't like to be outside at night."

He moves as quickly as his gear will allow him to, falling into stride alongside her. She peers across at him as he comes up alongside her. _Where on earth did the General find this man?_

What she doesn't know, however, is that this man is actually a well-trained soldier, pretending to be a useless explorer, to lure the truth of Agent Shadow's story out of her. "I think I'm starting to get the hang of this. Maybe when you have time, you can train me in your fighting art. I've seen you in action and found it quite fascinating."

She gazes at him momentarily, and then turns her attention back to finding the cave.

After a few minutes of walking through dense shrubbery, Shadow stops and goes down on one knee. Wilson follows, close behind. "Look there, at your one o'clock," she says, pointing in the direction, "do you see the cave?" Wilson nods when he spots it. "I advise you to stay here, while I check it out . . . and don't worry, nothing will happen to you, just as long as you remain quiet." Shadow pats him on the back before disappearing into the bushes.

"Great, leave me here to look after myself. Just fantastic." He looks around and finds a dense spot to hide in. _Fantastic._

Meanwhile, Agent Shadow is a few feet away from the cave, quietly approaching the entrance, cloak engaged. No one can see her, yet she can see everything. _No one here, how can that be? This would be the perfect spot to hide._ She taps on her earpiece and radios Wilson to come to the cave. Walks further in, noticing the heavy tread of her partner outside the cave, and then disengages her cloaking ability.

"Shadow, I'm here!" He calls out, his voice echoing throughout the cave.

"Hey, keep your voice down." Frustration in her voice.

He notices it and decides to back off for a while. "Sorry." Wilson says, before halting at the entrance and quietly observing her movements.

At a slow pace, she checks for clues. She disappears around what seemed to be a corner at the back of the cave. Wilson has an urge to follow, but decides against it.

A minute or so passes by before Shadow returns looking surprised. "Alright, so the cave shows evidence of recent activity, but no one is here. They left for the Gate . . . there, where you are standing, indicates they went in that direction. They are gone. Probably knew something was up because this time they didn't bother to cover up their tracks." Shadow motions to the back of the cave. Wilson moves to the place she indicated.

"I believe the real reason behind their attack was that they were hiding something, or else they just happened to be in the way. There's a secret room just around this corner." She points to her left and walks in the same direction, Wilson following closely behind. There, a door lies hidden behind some overhanging branches.

The Major walks up to it and pushes them aside and it is then that Shadow notices something interesting. The texture of the door looks like Ancient architecture. While still on-board the battle cruiser, Daedalus, she had asked to see the S.G.C. files on the Atlantis Expedition. She had managed to study the necessary available information, which, amongst it, also contained pictures of Atlantis and its design.

She walks up to the door and brushes her hand over it. "This door is of Ancient design."

Wilson's heart skips a beat. _If this was Ancient_ . . . "This means these people were of Ancient ancestry."

"I don't think so. This door hasn't been opened in a while. If they were Ancients, they would have used this place. I think they're just inhabitants."

"Why would this enemy attack them then? Most importantly, what were they after in this 'room'?"

Shadow sighs and looks for a way to get past the door. On the right, underneath the branches, she sights a panel in the shape of a hand. "Well, there is only one way to find out." Shadow places her hand on the panel and with some resistance, the door slides open. The room lights up as they step in.

"Wait." Shadow places her arm before Wilson's path and then points to the ground.

"Footprints? But I thought you said there wasn't any evidence of entry."

"I said there hasn't been for a while." She pauses and looks at the floor of the cave and then back at the room. "That's odd, only one pair of prints entering and leaving, but the floor of the cave shows many coming and going."

"Maybe someone knew what they were looking for and asked the others to remain outside."

"That means the person knows Ancient technology."

"And had the means to take whatever was here."

"So I assume our enemy either knows of the Ancients and their technology . . ."

". . . Or they are descendants of the Ancients." Wilson's face bears a smile, but it soon dampens when he looks at Shadow, who has a worried look on hers.

"You can smile all you want, Wilson but it won't help us to find them. Whatever it is they are planning, they want to keep it hidden. I suggest we send down a science team to collect data in here."

"I agree."

As Wilson radios the Daedalus with their update, they head for the rendezvous point.

In the distance, behind them, Shadow hears a faint noise. It sounds like something moving in the trees above them. _Could it be the breeze or is someone following us_? She ignores it.

A few minutes pass by, after which time Wilson briefs Shadow. "The General has agreed to send down a science team. You should have heard how excited he was. We've finally found something that might bring us closer to this enemy."

"Great, let's hope this is what we've been scouting for. It could just be another technological discovery that has nothing to do with our objective."

"What do you mean? I thought you would be glad that we've finally got something."

She turns to him, hiding the frustration wanting to reveal itself. "Kyle, one thing that I've learned is to wait until all the facts have been confirmed; otherwise you'll be disappointed when your expectations aren't met. Up till now, we have circumstantial evidence but we have nothing concrete pointing us to our unknown enemy. I take this mission as a success, yes, but not as one that's going to bring us closer to finding them – and we still don't know why the Romas were attacked and if they even knew that there was a hidden room in that cave." Shadow finishes speaking, with a gesture in the cave's direction.

Wilson mulls over what has been said, before asking, "So we need to find them and question them?"

"Yes, something we should have done when we got here. There are a lot of unanswered questions." Shadow stops when an idea pops into her mind. _Maybe I can convince the General to allow me to stay behind and wait for the Romas to return_.

Behind her, Wilson, unaware of the fact that she had stopped, bumps into her. "Oh, sorry . . . why did you stop?"

She stares at him and taps on her earpiece. A distortion can be heard and after a few seconds, a female voice responds. "Yes, patch me through to the General." While waiting for Caldwell, she answers Wilson's question, "I have an idea I would like to share with the General."

"Well, would you mind filling me in?"

 _Was that an irritated tone I heard in his voice?_ "No, but you're welcome to listen to our conversation." Shadow smirks as he submits to this. _That's a_ _good boy._ She hides her realization of his excessive questions. No one could be so curious and not have a motive.

 _The best way to keep an analyst at bay is to feed him or her false information. It's too early to let this one in_...

"Go ahead, Agent Shadow . . . and well done with the discovery of that hidden room."

"Thank you, General. I suppose Wilson has filled you in on everything that has happened today, so I'll keep this short. I would like to stay behind and wait for the Romas to return to their village. I have an idea that they might be able to help us with what we've found in the cave. They could also tell us what happened on the day of the attack."

"Do you think they'll come back? They seemed to have disappeared very quickly when you arrived."

"Yes, General, that's because they had scouts around their villages. That's how they knew we were coming," she goes down to one knee and looks up to her left, spotting a dark figure sitting quietly in a tree a few feet away from them.

She whispers, "I believe we are being watched right now." She secretly motions for Wilson to remain where he is.

"Is it possible for you to capture this scout or maybe even question him?" Shadow looks down at the ground, trying to figure out a plan. "Yes Sir, but I think it best to go on to the rendezvous point and beam up Wilson. I can fake my own disappearance and capture this scout on my own. I can report back when I have info. and for safety's sake, you can monitor me from the Daedalus."

There's silence over their radios as the General considers the request. She noticed his hesitation, "General, this is _my_ job, this is why _I_ was chosen for this expedition. Please trust me to do it." Shadow keeps her head down, sparing herself from having to see the look on Wilson's face. She knows he is against this idea, but it needs to be done. Leaving questions unanswered gnaws at her being; she has to figure out why these people were punished for finding this secret room.

"I'm sorry, Shadow, but I'm declining your request this time. I'll send the science team down to investigate. Hopefully they'll find something. It's best to leave these people alone for the time being. We can come back to Romas at a later stage."

Shadow is shocked. "But General, if we don't take this opportunity now, who says we'll find them later on? I have this scout in my sight I can capture him. We'll have more info. than what can be found in that room."

"My answer remains the same, Shadow . . . head for the rendezvous point. I'll ask the technician to scan for signs of life when you are beamed on-board. Caldwell out." Shadow hits the ground in frustration. She could have saved them a week by catching this scout.

Looking at Wilson, she says, "No 'I told you so' from you. Do you hear me?" Wilson raises his hands to signal his retreat. "Good, let's get a move on, only a half a mile to go."

"Ode Joy!"

They were silent for the rest of the trip; the only sound - that of their boots treading on the muddy path. When they reach their location, they radio the Daedalus.

Shadow's frustration had been building up, something Wilson could clearly see. Compassion sweeps over him, but he ignores it. He isn't there to sympathize, he is there to analyse her behaviour and report back to the General. A sharp light envelopes them as they are beamed up to the Bridge. An hour later, the science team are beamed down to the cave to investigate the discovery they had made.


	2. Chapter 2

**TWO WEEKS LATER**

It is cold and murky in the cave on the Atlantis mainland. It has a green lavish appearance, as the artificial light shining through its entrance, and water can be heard running in the deepest part of it.

A grunt echoes in the cave, as Dr Rodney McKay, an astrophysicist and the head of the Science and Research Division of the Atlantis Expedition, wakes up feeling dazed. His mind is hazy, body numb, and eyes blurry as he mentally tries to piece together what is happening around him.

 _I must have been drugged. That would explain this numbness and headache_. "Need to get out of here." He tries to stand up but the ropes around his feet prevent it. _My feet are tied up_? He moves his hands but they are cuffed to a table. _Hands too!_ Breathing shallowly, he says aloud, "Where am I? How did I get here?" He cringes as a sharp pain darts through his head and groans in agony. _It's always me that's taken captive, why not someone else for a change_? He looks about the cave, but all around him is darkness, except for the table and laptop in front of him that are faced away from the entrance.

 _Atlantis' logo?_ "All right, what's going on? Is this some sort of joke?" He turns his head to the left to see if someone's there, before continuing with, "Because I'm not amused. Come on! Show yourself and let's get this over with. Just to make something clear, whatever it is that you want, you won't get it. Just saying, you know."

"The great Dr. Rodney McKay." He jerks as a female voice echoes about the cave. "For someone who sounds confident, you just squirmed like a mouse." Soft laughter sends a shiver down his spine. He tries to place the voice, but comes up short. Maybe if he were to see this person he could . . .

"Who are you and what do you want?" Silence answers him so he adds, "Listen, I don't know how you got me here, but I can assure you that my team _will_ come looking for me."

"I agree, your team is quite resourceful," the voice pause before saying, "but they won't find you. They don't even know that you are gone."

"What? I don't believe you!" Again, he tries to scan the cave, but it's too dark to make out where he is.

"You are known for being annoying, arrogant, and irritating, speaking too freely what is on your mind - yet you are good at what you do . . . Yes?"

"What?"

"You are believed to be the smartest person on Atlantis. Known to come up with the most brilliant ideas when threatened – am I getting warm? Or am I wrong?"

"Well, I wouldn't say that I work well under pressure . . . but I'm known for being able to do the so-called 'impossible' in a few minutes."

"Wow, modest _and_ arrogant at the same time. So it's true what they say about you. Then it won't be a problem for you to help me with my . . . 'problem'."

"They? Who is this 'they' you are talking about?"

McKay wants this person to keep on talking; maybe she will reveal something he can use as leverage. He needs to buy his team some time. By now, they should have been able to trace his sub-space tracker.

* * *

 **Two Weeks Ago:** The Daedalus is leaving Earth for Atlantis

Wilson and Shadow are on their way to the Mess aboard the battle cruiser when General Caldwell radios for them to join him in the Conference Room and a few minutes later, they are seated at the table.

Immediately, the General briefs them on the following: "I have news from the S.G.C. science team. Bad news - apparently they've discovered some data that they can't decipher. The good news is that the rest of the data points to the enemy we've been looking for. They sound very excited, despite this last bit of info. Which they can't figure out. There's evidence of it being inserted recently."

Shadow interrupts with, "So the person who walked in there knew the system and also had the ability to add data to it."

"What does that mean for us, General?" Wilson asks confused.

"What Shadow supposes is correct. We're dealing with someone who knows how to work with Ancient technology and who has the capability to manipulate the data . . . however, we can't access all the data until we've cracked the last bit."

"But our scientists are the best there are."

"Not quite, Wilson. There is someone who has the skill to do the 'impossible'. Well, close enough to it." Caldwell thinks about past missions he's had with the above-mentioned person.

Shadow sees the direction the briefing is heading in . . . "You're not suggesting we involve the Atlantis Expedition? You know it's against I.O.A. protocol!" She cringes as the realisation whom Caldwell was referring to earlier, dawns on her.

"I know, Shadow. That is why the I.O.A. and S.G.C. have suggested that we find a way to work around it."

She protests, "How are we going to work around this? Anything that is out of place will make them suspicious - something we've successfully avoided up till now." _There goes the I.O.A.'s secret mission._

"I think what Shadow is saying is: what are the I.O.A. and S.G.C. suggesting?"

She looks at Wilson, then back at the General, "Yeah, what he said . . ."

Silence fills the room as the General reconsiders the I.O.A.'s plan. _It's a risk, but they can do it. Good planning is needed_. This time, _he_ cringes. "They have suggested that we kidnap Dr Rodney McKay."

Shadow is shocked at the suggestion. "What? And how do they think that we are going to do _that_?"

Confusion is evident on the soldiers' faces. How could they pull this off without the S.G.A.'s knowing about it?

"Not 'we', Shadow," pauses before pointing at her and saying, "You."

"Me? Why me?" _Not a good plan, not a good plan!_

"I'm not sure she can do this by herself, General." Wilson interjects.

"Technically, she wouldn't be doing it alone. We'll be helping from the Daedalus."

"I'm sorry, Sir, but I'm confused. What are we actually doing? Most importantly, how are we going to pull it off? If I'm correct, then this scientist is a key member of Colonel Sheppard's team. Firstly, they'll notice his absence . . ."

"And secondly, he would be searched for when he is gone, yes. Something the Daedalus can handle, while you convince McKay to help."

"And thirdly, the fact that he will be able to see me when I do this, is a big no-no by I.O.A. standards."

"You have a cloak Shadow." She glares at Wilson, making him stop speaking mid-sentence.

 _Not the point, I'm not going to allow myself to be stuck with that man._

"I know . . . but that's not the point, Wilson! It's still a huge risk and there are so many things we need to take into consideration if and when we actually do this. Honestly, General, I don't know why you would agree to such a plan."

 _Clearly she's not happy with the decision_. "I wouldn't have agreed if I thought we couldn't do this." He looks down at the documents on the table, adding, "We have no choice." Looking up at them again, he says, "We are stuck – and McKay is the only one who can help us."

Shadow can see the desperation in the General's eyes. At the same time, she wonders if the President wasn't the one who really sanctioned this. An assumption she has to keep to herself, however, because the present company wouldn't allow her to ask a question like that.

 _Okay, for the General's sake . . ._ "Alright, if we have no other choice... then, what do they suggest we do? Without giving away our objective, of course."

"According to Atlantis' survey team, the mainland has a cave. The I.O.A. suggests that we use the Daedalus' beaming technology to transport McKay to the mainland. Meanwhile, the cave will be prepped to accommodate you and McKay, along with the necessary equipment to decipher the data."

Wilson and Shadow stare at each other, as though the very same concern occurred to both simultaneously.

Wilson speaks first, "There's one minor flaw . . ."

"No, Wilson, there is one _major_ flaw in this plan of theirs."

"You have to remember this is only a suggestion. We are free to add and subtract to best suit our needs, so to speak."

"So . . . we can use their suggestion as an outline but not as the actual plan?" General Caldwell nods in agreement. "Great, so obviously this plan will work when the Daedalus makes its scheduled stop at Atlantis."

"I see where you are going with this, Major. I'm just thinking on my feet here Sir but, if we arrive during the day, this gives our team the chance to prep the cave, preferably while you are catching up on the latest news. Then, we take McKay during the night, whilst he's alone in his lab. I can cover the camera when he is beamed up, we sedate him and then you beam us down into the cave. No one will know he is gone until he needs to report for duty the following day. It will buy us a few extra hours."

"I agree, General, it could work. We can fill in the gaps as the mission progresses."

"Excellent. There are some small details to be taken care of like the equipment etc. to smooth this plan out. We have a few days before we reach Atlantis."

"I think it will be enough time. What do you think, Wilson?" He nods in agreement. "Right, so now that we know the basics, it's time we put things into motion. You are dismissed."

* * *

 **Present Day**

Besides the water dripping from the cave's ceiling, all is quiet. This works on McKay's nerves more than being tied to the chair. He wishes this woman would speak, inform him of what is happening and what she wants from him. Obviously, he won't help her, but his curious nature wants to be satisfied all the same. Just denying her in order to hear more should clinch it. The longer she waits, the better his chances of rescue.

Her voice fills the silence, sending a shiver down his back. "Could you stop doing that?" He winces.

Ignoring the question, she states, "What you have before you is a device, which is incapable of connecting with those on Atlantis. So if you thought of sending a signal, you'll hit a dead-end. And if you're wondering about your tracking device . . ."

"Disabled, ain't it?"

"Yup."

McKay sighs in frustration. "Great, just what I needed. Listen, whoever you are, I'm not going to do whatever it is that you want me to do! As I told you before . . ."

"I know, but I can be persuasive when the time comes, McKay." She pauses, before adding, "I don't think you want me to have to become persuasive."

"I've been through worse; I'm sure . . . believe me." _Have I been through worse? Maybe faced similar situations... Oh, well._

It is as if she read his mind. "Oh, I have no doubt of that, Rodney, but believe me, you don't want to cross me. In this situation, it's either agree to help or instant death... You choose." _Come on, fool, just give in._

"Then you'll lose the opportunity to see your problem solved. Let's face it, if there was someone else who could assist you, you wouldn't have kidnapped me. I'm infallible." _Did I just say that?_

"Infallible yes, but not invulnerable."

 _She's good._ "Good point… so what _do_ you want from me?"

His antagonism was frustrating her. If necessary, she would have to threaten him with his friend's lives or worse, injure him. General Caldwell said injury was to be her last option. Yet the way McKay was acting, she would have to skip the first option and go straight to implementing brute force.

 _This is insufferable._ "Hello, anyone home? I can't tell if you have left off or just refused to answer my question. It kind of defeats the whole purpose . . ." He can feel her breath in his neck. "Okay, you're still here." He shudders. "Just checking . . . now, how about that request of mine?"

That move should have scared him, yet it only served to spur him on. What happened to the astrophysicist she read up on? By now, he should be panicking. "I have a piece of code that my people can't decipher. I need your help to figure it out. You won't have the full data, only the part that couldn't be decoded. It's already on the device in front of you."

He opens the laptop; a few lines of code are displayed on the screen. To his surprise, it was already in his technical language. "This is incredible! How did you manage to put it into my language? How did you even know what my language was?"

"I know more than you think, Rodney."

 _Do you practice being vague?_ "Obviously. You must be a descendant of some kind of advanced race. It would explain your invisibility."

She couldn't help but smile at his assumption. _What? Me, an invisible being? Ha!_ "Think what you like, Dr McKay. Can you figure it out or not?"

 _Probably, yes, but I won't give in so quickly._ "Yes, if I had the 'key' to unlock it with. You can't give half an equation and yet, you expect me to complete the full one. I need something more besides this piece of code." _Let's see how you grovel. Oh yes, I can't . . . oops. Well, maybe I can just imagine it._ _Ah, bitter sweet_. His lips curl into a smile at the thought of this. If he wanted to, he could decipher it, but by making things a little more bit difficult for her, it shows her that he won't give in so easily. _My game has only just begun._

Shadow can see by his body language that he's lying. _What an idiot_. _His arrogance is so evident; he really thinks he can turn the tables. The fool, he is in for a treat . . ._

Rodney smirks. _I have her right where I want her_. _Now I just need to make the demands and see how far she's willing to accommodate me_. "Again with the silence . . . really? Or was it that I ruffled your . . ." The sound of a knife being drawn catches him by surprise. He starts to protest. "Hey, hey, I'll see what I can do. I promise!" _What the . . . will she actually do it?_

"Not good enough, McKay!" A sharp pain rushes through his left thigh, next, blood seeps around the area where the knife is embedded into his flesh. He bites his lip to keep from screaming in agony. _Man, that hurts . . . she really did it. I swear I'll kill her when I get free. Okay, just breathe, calm yourself down. Maybe it's time to turn my act up a notch._

"I told you not to cross me, McKay. Next time, you won't be so lucky." _Caldwell is not going to be happy about this. It was the only way . . . Sorry, McKay, I really am._

Rodney has a mixture of shock and anger in his eyes. "How do you know that I was or was not telling the truth? You stab an innocent man for being honest?" _Maybe I should add a little bit more drama there. Definitely._

Shadow begins pacing up and down the room. _Even in pain, this guy's arrogance is persistent. What is it going to take to make him realise that I am serious? Yank the knife out . . . that is what I should do. More pain will surge through his body. It could work. I can add some reverse psychology along the way._

"I know you, McKay; I know every bit of detail about you that I possibly can. Don't tell me otherwise because I know you'll lie." She pauses slightly, and then carries on with, "I don't play games, I really don't!" _Brace yourself, McKay._ She yanks the knife out of his thigh. _That ought to do the trick._

A blood-curdling scream fills the room as McKay squirms in pain. Heavy breathing follows, and then a little bit of laughter. a reaction that makes Shadow uneasy. He tilts his head backwards, a smile evident upon his face. _Wow, that actually hurt quite a bit. But thank goodness for adrenaline and drama training in high school._ _Watch out! Curve ball coming . . ._ "No kidding, hey? Where's the fun in that?"

Confusion strikes her. "Come again?" _What's wrong with this guy?_

"Where's the fun in not playing games? I like games, especially the ones that involve deciphering."

 _How can this man still mock me after being injured? It ought to have had the opposite reaction. Instead, he's teasing me... it's so unlike McKay. Maybe it's the shock and adrenaline surging through his body._

Shadow is out of options. What can she do to make him co-operate?

 _She's desperate_ , McKay senses, a wry smile appearing this time.

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees his smile . . . _Maybe I should play this game of his. Entertain him a little even manipulate him. I have it!_ "I wonder would Dr Zelenka react the same way? He would probably be screaming in agony right about now."

McKay has a confused look. _How does she know about Zelenka?_

 _Mmm . . . did I just spoil your little game, Dr McKay?_ "I bet he would have co-operated from the start. But he's not you, is he now?" She pauses to see his reaction, but he stares straight ahead of him. "Come to think of it, I should have taken him instead of you. Man, would he have had an incredible story to share when he returned to Atlantis. All the attention . . . people congratulating him for surviving. Ah, I can see their faces. Amazing feeling when you have lived to die another day. Wow!"

 _Come on! I'm not being spiteful on purpose. Give in, just give in and get your anger out, so that we can move on to more important things. Ah, something is happening . . . good, he's shaking._

Rodney starts to tremble as the adrenaline wears off. This is replaced by anger, which begins to build up within him, not helping his wound at all. "How dare you compare me to him? His skills next to mine are nothing . . ."

 _Got you!_ "Oh . . . so you were the right person to kidnap, then?" She smiles at her accomplishment.

"Don't you dare patronise me!"

"Not at all. Dr. Rodney. McKay." She can't help but tease him.

 _She's teasing me?_ "So help me . . . if I get out of here, you will be the first person."

"The first person to what? To kill, to shoot, to annihilate? Ha, now don't you dare patronise _me_. I'm in control . . . confess it, you don't like it at all. Being tied up, at the mercy of someone you can't see, is somewhat demeaning. The opposite of WHO YOU ARE!" _Where did that come from?_

Once again, it's quiet in the cave. Shadow hopes his stubbornness has stopped. Giving him a taste of his own medicine may have done the trick because he has gone quiet. _I can't wait anymore._ "You will finish this cypher for me, otherwise . . ."

 _I'll never help you. Nothing you do will change my mind._ "Otherwise what?"

"Otherwise, this will happen." She uncocks her gun and fires a round, which misses his right ear by a few inches.

McKay jerks to his left, causing the chair to wobble, but somehow manages to keep it from falling over. "ARE YOU CRAZY!? You could have killed me!" _Wow, that was unexpected._ _That might change my mind._

 _I really wanted to shoot Rodney._ She exhales softly, then breathes in. "Believe me, if I wanted to kill you, you wouldn't be shouting at me. You should be grateful that I spared your life. If you ever want to return to your comfy room and wonderful friends, I suggest you co-operate and finish the task I have given to you. Next time, I won't be so lenient."

The humiliation to give in to such a being, leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. Seeing nothing, but darkness around him eats at his core. _How will I ever explain this to my team? I was threatened by someone that hid in the dark. No one will believe me. I wonder who the real coward is. The one giving in - or the one hiding?_

 _Okay, that's enough._ "McKay!"

"YES! I'll do it! I'll do it."

"Good, you don't have a lot of time left."

"What?" _What now?_

"If you leave your wound open like that, it will soon become infected if you don't bleed out first."

"So?" _It's true. Never mind, I'll go down with my ego intact._

"After a while, it will start to poison the rest of your system. I want you alive when you finish the deciphering." _Sugar-coating it a little there, Shadow. I'll end it off with some sarcasm._

"Since when do you care?" He asks before pausing. "Forget I asked . . . don't worry, I'll have it done in no time." _If it wasn't for this wound and captivity, I would have discovered your little secret. I'll get you, don't worry._

"Let's hope so. I hate to leave a dead body behind." Shadow says in reply, smirking.

"That won't help me to work faster."

"But the seed has been sown . . ."

"Alright, you have what you want, just stop with your manipulation and let me work, will you?"

Shadow remains silent while he checks out the code. Sowing fear helped spur him on, even if he denied he was afraid. She can finally relax for a time. General Caldwell said McKay would resist in the beginning and then, gradually, he'd submit. However, she didn't realize he would be stubborn for so long. Rodney's reactions made her doubt that he would ever submit to her wishes. He knew there was no other way, yet he chose to put up a massive fight. Well, she was glad he had given in. Now to wait and see if he'll deliver on his promise . . .


	3. Chapter 3

Back on Atlantis, the key personnel are gathered in the Conference Room, which is in a state of emergency. Two personnel can be seen in one corner, discussing their views on McKay's disappearance, whilst others are seated at the table, quietly thinking about how to locate him. From outside the room, it sounds like a press conference, yet, even with all the buzz, no one can figure out what happened to McKay.

On the balcony, outside the Control Room, John Sheppard is watching the ocean peacefully crash against Atlantis' piers. It is a city that drifts upon the water like an oil rig, but with an appearance similar to a few Roman cathedrals. Sheppard is a full bird Colonel in the United States Air Force and a highly skilled pilot. He is the current military commander of the Atlantis Expedition, which has been assigned to explore the Pegasus Galaxy. McKay's disappearance is giving him a brain overload.

There have been many times that his team members, along with himself, have been in danger or have been kidnapped by their enemies. But no one has ever attempted to take someone on their own turf and succeeded at it.  
The footage shows no one entering McKay's lab or leaving it. More importantly, there is no evidence indicating that he was kidnapped. Rodney has gone and there is nothing they can do about it.

John walks over to the railing at the edge of the balcony. The Control Room is situated in the highest pinnacle of Atlantis. Three of the six piers could be seen from where he stands. Gazing at the ocean seems to calm him down and take his attention off the buzz in the Conference Room.  
He doesn't blame them, finding McKay is top priority. But here, outside, he can think better.

"There's got to be a way to find him. One can't just disappear and not leave a clue behind."

 _There is no evidence of his being taken and the only footage we have is of him entering his room. After that, there is nothing but darkness._

"How can it be? And under our noses too!"

They have tried everything, even locating him using the city's life-sign detection sensors. They have scanned the mainland hoping to find him there. Nothing, not a trace.

"I don't want to give up on this."

 _He's my friend and I know he'd do the same for me. McKay is part of my team, an important member, I can't just leave him wherever he may be_.

Shepard remains quiet for a while, staring out at the horizon.

"What would Rodney McKay do? What would he do in this situation?" A pause. "He would do whatever it takes to find his team mates."

 _I'm no scientist, but I can direct one to do what McKay would have done_.

He paces up and down the balcony, mulling over this and also, over some of Rodney's methods. One person comes to mind.

 _Dr. Radek Zelenka - I need him to help me._

He taps on his earpiece and radios Zelenka.

"Yes, Colonel Sheppard, how can I help you?"  
"I want you to meet me at Rodney's lab. We've got work to do."  
"Alright, do you mind telling me what we're going to do?"  
"I'll tell you when we get there. Sheppard out." There's hope in Sheppard's eyes now.

After a few minutes, both men arrive at McKay's lab.

"What would you like me to do? I have limited access to his things... you know him."  
"Yes I do, that's why I have his password… here, type it in."  
"Don't think he'll ever forgive me for this."  
"What he doesn't know won't hurt him. I'll just tell him I accessed his laptop."  
"It's your head on the chopping block... okay, we're in. What are we looking for?"  
"Look for his latest stuff, you know, his recent discoveries and research. I remember him mentioning being on the verge of uncovering some new Ancient tech."

"Oh, so you think it might be linked to his kidnapping? Good thinking."  
"Thanks, Zelenka… We've encountered some pretty strange stuff while on Atlantis. He may have been fiddling with a device of some sort that might have triggered his disappearance. Can you find out what it is?"  
"I can't make any promises, but I'll try. Some of the stuff he worked on was beyond his capabilities and may be beyond mine too."  
"Do what you can, it may have been an accident or else, someone really has kidnapped him. Either way, do your best. We must find him... soon."  
"Yes, I agree."

A voice comes through over their earpieces, "Sheppard, please respond."  
"Yes, Chuck, go ahead."  
"Mr Woolsey has requested you come to his office as soon as you're available."  
"Thanks, Chuck, I'm on my way. Sheppard out."

"Well, the boss wants me. Contact me when you have something, however small. I'll take anything at this point."  
"I'll do my best." Sheppard walks out of the lab leaving Zelenka behind to solve the mystery and heads for Woolsey's office next to the Control Room.

Moments later he enters it and says, "Heard you wanted me."

"Yes, I heard you've got Zelenka filtering through McKay's stuff hoping to find some clues on his disappearance. Care to share this idea of yours?"  
"It occurred to me one of his discoveries might be the cause of this. It makes sense to me. So I've got Radek checking out Rodney's latest projects in the hopes of solving this mystery."  
"Brilliant, I hope for his sake we find something."

He pauses for a moment, realising they may have placed Zelenka in the same danger as McKay.

"Aren't you afraid that what happened to Dr. McKay might happen to Dr. Zelenka?"  
"It has crossed my mind. Before I came to you, I ordered a guard to stand outside the lab. I know it won't do him any good, but at least the guard can report if something goes wrong. But I think Radek will know when something is about to happen."  
"Corny, but effective. It's the thought that counts. At least we're doing something and not nothing. I'm sure we'll stumble across a clue that will point us in Rodney's direction."  
"I agree, we have to be patient and hope Zelenka finds what we need. It's the only other plan worth pursuing. I'm afraid it's the only one we've got."

"Don't forget about the Daedalus... General Caldwell is tracking McKay's sub-space transmitter."  
"I know, but remember, we suspect that if he was kidnapped, his captors would have disabled it - otherwise why take McKay without our noticing and leave it on for us to trace him?"  
"I see your point. The worst thing is, we have to be patient. Whoever this person is or whatever unknown device it might have been, we can't move until we have something worth pursuing."

Silence fills the office, as both men quietly hope that a clue will surface. Ten minutes pass before Sheppard dismisses himself and leaves Mr Woolsey alone in his office.

Mr Woolsey's radio earpiece activates and General Caldwell's voice speaks into his ear.  
"Good to hear from you, Steven. Tell me, any luck in tracking McKay's sub-space transmitter?"  
"I'm sorry, Richard, but our sensors haven't found anything yet. If he was taken captive, his kidnappers would have disabled it by now. We'll try again in an hour or so."  
"Thank you, General, we're trying our best to get more info. on this matter."

Mr Woolsey is the main leader of Atlantis operations. The third-to-be in command overall, with the first being Dr Weir and the second, Colonel Samantha Carter. The International Oversight Advisory thought it best to have one of their own members in command of this Expedition.  
Lines got blurred so often with the previous leaders that they'd hoped that, by sending in their representative, things should run smoothly.  
However, even Mr Woolsey finds it hard to follow proper procedure.  
Things have happened so fast that if all the rules are to be obeyed, lives are going to be lost. In this situation, the rulebook goes out the door because they don't know what they are facing.

"Unless," A thought crosses his mind…

 _Maybe this kidnapping has to do with the I.O.A.'s secret mission? I had been informed about a spy being sent to do some recon work for the I.O.A. and S.G.C. When I don't know, but there are some S.G.C. markings..._

 _Why Rodney?_


	4. Chapter 4

**5 MONTHS AGO…**

 _Can't think why I should help these creatures. A year and a half have passed since they kidnapped me and still there's been no chance to escape this planet. At least I was transferred from that dark hole they called a 'cell', but I'm still confined to this planet. Not as easy as I thought... I should never have given in to their demands_.

For more than a year, McKay has been held captive by what he knows is a society wanting his scientific ideas. The day he surrendered, he never thought it would reveal another side to these people and the planet that he now calls 'home'.

"They never wanted my scientific expertise... they've just used me. Such an idiot! I was _such_ an idiot."

 _From day one, they were training me, though for what I don't know. I can now defend myself, something I should be grateful for. I can give Tyla and Ronin a run for their money. Yet, with all this training, I can't escape. There are too many of them. What they need me for is still unclear. All I know is that my genius is still the main reason for my capture. What worries me the most is my team hasn't even attempted to rescue me. I wonder if they even know I'm missing. They may have declared me missing in action or worse… dead_.

McKay sits down on his bed, the only piece of furniture in the room. "It's amazing I'm still intact, mentally that is. Talking to myself has helped, but it may seem crazy to the guards outside my room."

He lays down on his bed and stares at the ceiling, mulling over his experiences of the past few months.

 _The 'people' here aren't people, but Shifters. They have the ability to take on human form when they came in contact with one. What separates them from shape-shifters is that they can only change into one human being. Once in their human appearance, Shifters can't change from one to another. When transformed, they have strengths and abilities that outweigh those of humans and the threat Atlantis faces: the Wraith. The Shifters are super beings. Bullets and Wraith stunners are no threat to them._

 _As Shifters, they are deformed beings, with no distinct shape and their appearance is transparent, much like that of an amoeba. When they come in contact with people or the Wraith, they don't just take on its form but also its memory... Thus, the deformed being becomes real - very real._

 _What distinguishes them is that they are advanced weapons, bred for combat. Although the change is instant, the emotional side takes a few hours to adjust, because they, too, have a personality of their own. They can blend in and stay hidden for as long as they want._

 _Their blood is the key to revealing their identity, that and having a duplicate of themselves._

"I still can't believe I allowed an alien to fool me. I wouldn't be alive if I hadn't." McKay closes his eyes, picturing Atlantis and the ocean surrounding it.

 _Ah Atlantis, hopefully it won't be long now. I bet you my team will be surprised to see that I'm still alive_.

Something occurs to him, "Wait a minute… what if I'm…"

Before McKay can finish his sentence, footsteps can be heard approaching his room. The door slowly opens. McKay's eyes are closed and he remains quiet as Lyon Damian steps into his room."I see you're doing something productive for a change."

Damian was assigned to McKay from the start. For hours on end they played mind games and, in the end, Rodney submitted, allowing Damian to remain his handler and trainer. He is a tall, rugged man on the outside, but on the inside, he is a Shifter.

The Shifter Lyon had come across the real Damian whilst searching for a person to shift into. It was the perfect form to aid this eyes can melt a strong man in an instant, having been trained to extract information without hurting the person: the character of a mercenary. Easy on the eyes, but it covers the inner is a skilled fighter, dominant and arrogant, who usually gets what he wants. As an intelligent man, he can "read" and manipulate the people he captures - the total opposite of who the Shifter Lyon is.

Somehow he can never get under McKay's skin and this makes Rodney a worthy opponent. He has come to like McKay because in him, he has the same arrogance and stubbornness that makes up his own DNA.

"Come, stand up. You've been requested."  
Rodney sits up and looks at Damian, "No more training?"

A spark catches in his mind. Maybe I can escape on this mission. His eyes lit up.

"No, you've been assigned to go on a mission along with one of our teams. Your training is over, Rodney."  
"Great, I was getting tired of this confinement. Exciting!"  
"Come, get up, it's time to go. Dallan is expecting you."

McKay stands up and follows him out of the room.

"The Leader? I'm going to meet him?" He shudders. "Don't think I want to meet him, can't you brief me on this mission?"  
"Sorry, McKay, I have my orders - and so do you."

McKay looks out the door and takes a deep breath.

"Alright, I'm coming. Can't imagine why this Dallan wants to meet me, since he hasn't bothered to do so since you first captured me.I've been forced to live in this society of yours for more than a year. Now he wants to show himself, probably wants to see his spoils... You know, to see if my kidnapping was worth the risk."

"I thought a year's brutal training would have taught you some restraint... of your mouth, that is."  
"I talk when I'm nervous, okay? Cut me some slack."  
"You have nothing to worry about. Let's just say, he's kind of like you... except he knows how to fight."  
"I see where you are going with this - you're just softening me up for the big guy. Aren't you?"  
"If you say so, McKay. Here we are, mind your step."

They step through the door into what seems to be a beautiful atrium, similar in appearance to that of the ancient Rome atriums. Rodney stares at the lavish plants and trees that fill most of the atrium.

"Did you build this yourselves?"  
"Yes, we did. The trees and the plants are indigenous. We didn't want to remove them so we built around them… here, through this room." Damian gestures to Rodney's left side.

They enter a large room, its Ancient design evident.

 _This they definitely didn't build_ , he thinks as his eyes scan the room.

Besides the architecture, the rest of it has its own design.

 _For a deformed society, bred for combat, they don't lack creativity._

Damian pulls him down to sit on the chair next to him, forcing McKay back to reality.

"Some advice: keep as quiet as possible and keep your questions to a bare minimum. Listen carefully to what he has to say, he doesn't like to repeat himself."

Damian exits the room and after a few minutes, returns with a laptop. He places it gently on the table a few feet from McKay.

"So much for seeing him face-to-face."  
Damian says in reply, smiling, "He'll be online in a few minutes."

McKay looks at the laptop and sees the Atlantis logo on it.

"You got the laptop from my backpack. Am I to assume that your leader possesses the same technology?"

Damian's smirk answers Rodney's question. This confuses him. Their society didn't indicate that they had a technological knowledge, but once inside their headquarters, it was revealed their physical appearance, they look just like any other civilization he has encountered before. But inside they are Shifters. They are deceivers.

He shivers. He has to tread carefully.

Damian's voice pulls him from his thoughts. "Alright McKay, Dallan is ready for you."  
Rodney swallows and says, "Don't think I am ready for him."

After breathing in and gently exhaling, he is ready. Damian opens the laptop and a live video feed appears on the screen.

McKay feels his heart skip a beat, everything around him seems to turn into slow motion.

 _No, this can't be. Are my_ _eyes deceiving me_?

Maybe the feed was wrong because the person he sees is he himself. He is shocked.

 _It can't be true, it's not true_ …

His mind goes in circles trying to figure out what is before him. Behind this person is his room and in the background, he can see the things he'd brought with him from earth.

His breathing becomes shallow and his body trembles, as anxiety starts to set in.

"Shocked to see a reflection of yourself staring back at you? Can't imagine what's going through your head right now," the speaker says, pausing. "Oh yes, I can, because I am YOU."

Rodney is speechless, he doesn't know what to say. He just stares at his duplicate in disbelief. He tries to calm himself down, but it's not like he has encountered alternate duplicates of himself before. This is bad, really bad. A McKay Shifter is in charge of this society. A Shifter on Atlantis!

A shiver runs up his spine. This is real, very real.

"Now that I've given you time to take all this in, let's get on with business. As you can see, I'm you and that means I'm a Shifter who has taken your place on Atlantis. Your friends don't know we exist, therefore, they have no knowledge of your capture. We are originally from Atlantis ourselves - the result of an experiment conducted by one of their scientists. When he realized the Replicators they built didn't succeed, he came up with a new design: us. It was a good idea at first but it didn't pan out."

"You see, the Atlantis council decided against his design and commanded our race to be terminated. It seems we became a threat to them when they realised that even with a fail-safe, we would still be too dangerous. Too powerful to banished us to this planet and wiped the address from their database, just like they did with the Replicators. After tampering with the Gate, we finally managed to venture into the Pegasus Galaxy. We took on as many human forms as our society could produce. Our leadership decided to stay deformed until we could find our way back to Atlantis. Then, with Atlantis' being off the grid for more than ten thousand years, we were stuck with this fail-secure, confined to our planet. When news came about Atlantis being operational and the society living there more advanced, we had to take action. We placed scouts all over the Galaxy in the hopes of coming across your team. We observed your missions and, as time went by, it was revealed to us that you, Dr Rodney McKay, could help us. We managed to stage a Wraith attack on your team, lured you out, and now… here I am and _there_ you are."

 _WHAT ON EARTH?!_

Rodney's blood boils within his body. Anger slowly surfaces, but he tried his best to hide it. His legs are numb and fists tightly clenched. He understands why this Shifter didn't meet with him face-to-face. If he was here, he would have attacked him - better yet, shot him.

 _Dallan has been living my life on Atlantis for two years. Sleeping in my bed, drinking my coffee, eating my food, working on my equipment and going on missions with my team._

What this man has said goes right through him.

 _I don't care about their history._ He wants to give him a piece of his mind. That's _it!_

"How dare you? How dare you infiltrate my life? You have no right to enter Atlantis and do as you please. You no longer belong to the Ancients, they banished you for a reason. Why didn't you just except your fate?" Rodney's face is red with anger.

"No, Rodney, how dare you? You aren't of the Ancients, who gave you the right to enter Atlantis and take over? Who gave you the permission to explore this Galaxy?"

There is silence.

"That's right... no one. We have the same liberty, just like you have. Nothing can separate you from me. Face it, I am you, Rodney, and I'll stay here for as long as it takes."  
"Surely, there must be something that separates you from me? Sheppard must have noticed you aren't the real McKay. How have you fooled them for so long?"

"We take on your physical appearance, along with your habits, interests, personality, character, strengths and weaknesses. I'm a genius just like you. Our DNA is the only discrepancy separating you from me, that, and my leadership qualities, which I can suppress. I AM DR RODNEY MCKAY, head scientist of the Atlantis Expedition."  
A pause. "Convinced?"

Rodney keeps quiet, filtering through everything that has happened over the past two years and the current information he has just received.

How could these creatures have been under their noses and yet, they hadn't picked it up?

The Ancients were known to hide their mistakes, but this mistake is alive and out for revenge - and he is the only one who knows about it.

Still, all this doesn't explain the reason for his capture.

"If you have successfully taken my place on Atlantis, why do you still keep me alive? Everything that you need is there, why bother keeping me around for two years?"  
"Valid questions… I may have taken on your form and become a genius, but the whereabouts of this scientist's lab is still unknown to me. It seems he has many across the Galaxy and being McKay on Atlantis, I have limited choices where to go on missions. We trained you so that you can find those labs and locate the information we need."

Rodney smirks at his Shifter."You're not quite sure what you are looking for? How ironic!"

Rodney laughs out loud, despite his trembling.

"You're me and still you can't figure out what this fail-secure is. What you actually did was trade one spy for another. What a genius! I must admit, you play my part quite brilliantly."

Adrenaline is surging through his body, giving him the boldness to insult Dallan.

"Are you mocking me? I could kill you at this very moment."  
"You can't because you still need me, remember?"

Dallan pauses for a few minutes to calm himself down. He doesn't want to attract the attention of the people passing by outside his room.

"This scientist was smart, he knew how important it was to keep our existence a secret. We believe that he hid clues in his labs. We need more than one genius to find it. Hence, two McKays."

"I'm flattered that you would choose me, but don't you think there was a reason he didn't want anyone to know of your existence? You seem pretty powerful as it is, practically invincible-" Rodney stops as something occurs to him. "You don't want to know what the fail-secure is... You want to deactivate it because YOU want to be invincible. The Replicators wanted the same thing, they strived to be immortal and Atlantis was the key, always has been the key to reaching that goal. You're on Atlantis to get the location of those labs and you captured me so that I can infiltrate it and deactivate this fail-secure of yours."

Dallan claps, laughing softly. "Brilliant piece of detective work, Rodney. I see the training has paid off. Now that you understand what is going on, you'll be sent on your mission. Damian here has just received your first location, which is the planet Romas."

"Ha, so no choice then?"Dallan shakes his head.

"Damian will see to it that you are fully briefed."  
"What is this fail-secure of yours? Is it preventing you from changing into other forms?"  
"We can be hurt by primitive weapons, like arrows, swords and knives, spears and needles."

"I see - and Wraith stunners and Atlantis' weapons?"  
"We are immune to them."  
"They can't hurt you? Wonderful, just peachy!"

Rodney fights the urge to lash out over this pathetic hunt he's being sent on. Going all over the Galaxy just for a piece of code.

"Oh, yes, one more thing, Dr McKay... we implanted a tracking device into you when we kidnapped you, so don't even think of escaping."  
"Didn't even consider it."

 _There goes that escape plan of mine._

He stares at his double, turns his head to where Damian is sitting, then looks at the ground.

 _Escape is impossible, shooting them is inevitable and submitting is unquestionable._

Out of frustration, he hits the chair.

"Alright, you have my cooperation."

Then, he stands up and points his finger at Dallan."You won't get away with this. In your confidence, you'll slip up. Enjoy this victory while you can."


	5. Chapter 5

**TWO YEARS LATER:** **PRESENT DAY**

"It's been more than a day and still you haven't deciphered the code, McKay. How much longer will you be?"

"I don't know. It's not like you gave me a clue as to what I'm aiming for. I don't know what I'm looking for."

"I gave you everything you need – if I find out you've been playing me, I'll shoot you. I promise this time I won't miss."

"You have a very violent nature. 'Everything can be solved with violence' - that's your motto. Well, mine is, 'everything can be solved with science'. So let me do my job, okay?"

Irritation is evident in McKay's eyes. This 'creature' who has captured him doesn't know he is really a Shifter named Dallan. If he wanted to, he could break free, but the wound in his thigh prevents him from doing so – being wounded and his enemy equipped with primitive weapons are his only two weaknesses. Yet, somehow, being shot can't hurt him, he is immune to it. The Ancients made sure other civilizations could defend themselves against the Shifters.

This is a waste of time, his real focus should be: to make sure the _real_ McKay found those labs. Only six remain to be discovered before they have the final location of the code. This intrusion isn't helping him, only halting their progress.

He looks at the laptop in front of him, he doesn't know what he is working on, but things seem familiar to him. It looks like a map of some sort. But his building frustration and anger along with the pain, is clouding the familiarity of it in front of him. "Hey you, invisible creature, come here!"

 _There's that arrogant tone again_.

"I think I have it."

Agent Shadow walks over to him. His voice sounds like he is in command - and not the other way around. She kidnapped him, not he her. An angry thought crosses her mind, but she suppresses it.

Shadow gazes at his discovery, thinking: _Perfect, exactly what I need!_

They now have the map of their new enemy's base.

"Don't know where you are, but is this what you wanted?" McKay asks, sounding irritated.

He is getting on her nerves but fortunately, for her, he has solved it. She takes her weapon and knocks him out... He was bound to have a massive headache when he woke up. Shadow holsters her gun. "Thanks, McKay, I owe you." She turns around and heads for the entrance, her eyes squinting as she exits the cave to radio Major Wilson. Some distortion can be heard over her earpiece as she waits for him to respond. Finally, she gets through and informs him of the recent activities.

"That's great, Agent Shadow! I'll inform the General and send down the crew to take care of the equipment. Make sure to sedate him before we beam you on-board the Daedalus. And don't forget the laptop."

"Sure thing, Wilson, I'll radio you when I'm done down here. Shadow out."

She returns to where Rodney is still slumped unconscious in his chair. Something bothers her, _This guy isn't normal_. _Apart from being wounded and all, his attitude and appearance makes it seem as if he is in control and what has happened to him is a complete waste of time_.

His manner seems different to that of the McKay she had read up on. He acts like he is the _leader_ of Atlantis, not their _scientist._ But there is only so much a piece of paper can reveal about a person.

 _I'll get to the bottom of this_. She gathers her gear, gently placing the laptop in her bag. "Okay, got my stuff, just need to sedate him, then I'm finished." She takes out the syringe and injects him with a sedative. "This ought to put you out for a couple of hours or so."

 _Can't wait to see your teammates' reactions when you tell them you've discovered an 'invisible race'._ "No one will believe you . . . what a shame." She rubs her hand through his hair, "Maybe one day, you'll be justified." She walks over to the entrance of the cave, checking to see she has everything with her. Shadow gives Rodney one more look and salutes him, "So long, McKay, until we meet again. With that, she disengages her cloak and goes to the rendezvous point amongst the forest's trees, ten feet out.

"Wilson, come in."

"Read you loud and clear, Agent Shadow… I always wanted to say that."

"I bet you have. I'm at the co-ordinates you gave me. Beam me up, Scottie." _Now who wouldn't want to say that line?_ She chuckles to herself.

"Okay, beaming you up in three, two, and one . . ."

Agent Shadow is enveloped by a sharp light, before she disappears and then reappears on-board the Daedalus.

"Welcome back, Shadow. General Caldwell would like to see you in his Conference Room ASAP."

"Thank you, Wilson. Tell him, I'm on my way."

* * *

In the General's Office, the two greet one another and find a seat at the table. There is an expression of relief on Shadow's face, like it is great to be out of the cave and away from McKay. It has taken its toll on her; something she will not admit to the General. But if he's as smart as he says, he already knows this small detail.

General Caldwell is looking through some documents on the table, patiently waiting for her to speak. He can sense she is tired and something has touched home for her on this assignment. Allowing her to breathe and take in what has just happened, might earn him the trust that he deserves. He has realised that, being patient with her, will allow her to open up. The ball is in her court now.

A good ten minutes have passed since they first sat down at the table. Shadow decides to break the silence. "Something about McKay bothers me, General. I know I haven't had the opportunity to see him in-action on missions. However, his character was uncanny, his reactions didn't line up as you said they would."

 _Just as I expected._ "Shadow, I know your first meeting wasn't what you wanted it to be. You really wanted to meet him and I think your expectation was high, thus clouding your vision of him. I advise you to do the following: stop profiling this man and put the mission behind you. You did your job. He got us the information we needed. Let's leave it at that, it's a triumph."

Shadow nods in agreement, but a storm is raging through her mind. She isn't going to back down so easily. She looks up at the clock on the wall, above the General. _The clean-up team should be down in the cave._

"General, what are we going to do with McKay? And Atlantis – how are you going to go about it? The last time we spoke, you were going to 'help' them track his subcutaneous transmitter, which we know has been disabled. How did you sell it to them?"

"As you know, initially, we wanted him to be found on the mainland, but then I thought it would be too conspicuous. 'We were in orbit, why didn't we pick it up? etc.' Long story short, everything pointed to us, so we had to point them in another direction. I told them that the Daedalus would do routine stops in the area and boost our censors in order to pick up his transmitter, if it was activated. During this discussion of ours, Wilson has ordered a team to scrub the cave thoroughly on the mainland, whilst we drop McKay off on a nearby planet with a Star Gate and re-activate his transmitter." He looks around at the clock behind him. "We should be back at Atlantis."

Shadow smiles at this move. "So I guess the Bridge has told them we've discovered McKay, but we can't be sure if he's really there?"

"They've probably sent a scouting party to find him. It will be an hour or so before we know anything. We've made sure they take a while to find him."

Both share a momentary smile over the events that have taken place over the past few days. They quieten down for a bit. However, the General can sense there is more on Shadow's mind. "Something you would like to ask?"

She looks up at the General, dazed by his question and surprised he knew there was more she wanted to speak to him about. "I wanted to ask a favour." He grins motioning for her to continue. Shadow nervously shifts in her chair and says, "Since we have the map of the enemy's base, but not the address of their planet as yet, though we know our scientists is close to discovering it . . ." She pauses for a while. "I was wondering if I could do some off the grid missions on my own, to see if I can find some more info on this enemy of ours to aid our team? Maybe even shadow Sheppard's team on one or two of their missions. I remember you making a promise that I could do it. I think it the best time to grant it." She is sure the General will grant her this favour.

He ponders over the request for a few minutes. The suspense builds on Shadow's side. She's never asked something like this with such confidence, although there is a motive behind it. She wants time to be on her own, to break away from the Daedalus in order to check her suspicions about McKay. There is something brewing and she wants to know what it is. Therefore, she balances her real motive with the aiding of their scientists.

"Okay, I will grant your request, but only because I think you'll be able to gather more Intel on your own. As to the promise I made you . . . I will allow you to track Sheppard's team for a while. I know your gut is still churning about McKay's attitude, and frankly, I admit, I'm a little concerned too. The Daedalus will get as much info on Sheppard's missions as possible."

He stops when he sees her expression; it shows amazement and joy at the same time. She wants to say something, but he gestures with his hand, saying, "Wait, I'm not finished yet . . . please, don't get caught and stay well out of reach. _Observe_ only. If they get into trouble, you are _not_ to engage; they are more than capable in taking care of themselves. I know this is your speciality, but it doesn't hurt to remind you of your duties… Now, you may speak." The General smiles at her.

The reassurance from the General comes as a relief. She can't wait to start. It gives her the freedom she needs to follow the Atlantis team. However, one more request remains. "General, is there any possibility that I could get access to their previous missions? It would help me when I follow them and also keep me from jumping to any conclusions. It gives a sense of direction because I'm new to this part of the Galaxy."

"I'll see what I can do. In the meantime, I'll give you the latest info our scientists have discovered thus far and so forth. They can help by giving you a starting point and Gate addresses to go to."

"How will it help me?"

"You misunderstand... you'll be helping them narrow down planets. We are still looking for this enemy, you know. Instead of just sending Wilson and his team, you'll be searching too."

"Hence, the approval of my request. You had an ulterior motive, didn't you?"

He leans back in the chair and asks, "And you didn't? Listen, I was going to ask you to join his team, but it makes more sense if you are separated. We can cover more ground with two teams."

"So I'll have a team with me?"

"No . . ."

Their conversation is interrupted by a knock on the door. "Enter."

Wilson enters the room and says, "Atlantis has found McKay."

"So soon?"

"Yes, they want to board the Daedalus for a short briefing."

Caldwell and Shadow stand up and walk over to where Wilson's position. Shadow nods at the General and smiles at the Major, saying "Good day gentlemen," before making for her room. She knows when it is time to disappear.

Caldwell looks at the Major as he closes the door. "Why do they want to brief me here, and not in their own Conference Room? Shadow deserves time to relax after what she has achieved on our behalf. Now she needs to hide away in her quarters whilst they brief me here."

"I understand, Sir, but they seemed serious. By the looks of it, they might just ask you to venture into this Galaxy looking for McKay's kidnapper."

"They won't find anything."

"We know that, but they don't. They are desperately clutching at straws, General."

"I feared this would happen." He walks over to his desk in the corner of his office and looks down at the documents. "I might have something to mislead them with." He looks up at Wilson. "I'll take care of this. It's time for you to disappear. You know you can't be seen by them."

Wilson acknowledges this with a smile and opens the door to leave but Caldwell stops him. "Wait, before you go… do you mind checking up on Shadow? Maybe even keeping her company? I have an idea this mission has taken more out of her than she cares to admit."

"I can't promise anything Sir. You know her; she's just as invisible as her cloak." _I really don't want to. You know we don't get along._

"Yes, but underneath that cloak is a real person. I'm sure we'll eventually break through. Do what you can for now." Caldwell dismisses Wilson, who heads to his quarters.

General Caldwell sits down in his chair and takes a deep breath. He is about to be overflowed by Atlantis' main members. He closes his eyes and thinks about how he'll see his plan through. _Best to listen to what they've got and weave my own ideas into it_.

He taps his radio earpiece and requests that the Bridge to confirm the Atlantis members who want to come on board. "When you are done confirming them, please beam them up, and send them to the Conference Room. Caldwell out."

It is going to be a long week. He knows the information McKay possesses will lead to a dead-end. He has no evidence whatsoever, so why would Atlantis still want to search? The best thing to do is to give them liberty to continue and sit back and enjoy their disappointment as it unfolds.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Atlantis**_

After a week of searching for Rodney's kidnapper ends, Sheppard and McKay are beamed down to the Gate Room. They head down the corridor to the Mess Hall.

Sheppard is disappointed that they didn't find anything and McKay disgruntled.

"I told you this search would be useless. But no, who listens to me."  
"We had to try, Rodney."  
"Try? I said this kidnapper couldn't be traced. She was invisible for a reason - a very good reason. I was probably held captive in one place and left on another. She took me without anyone noticing... Why would she leave a clue behind?"

Sheppard becomes upset as McKay speaks. The thought of someone kidnapping his teammate and succeeding at it, swirls in his head.

He answers McKay's question in a frustrated tone, "I don't know, Rodney, you can't be kidnapped and expect us to sit back and relax. I want answers, which means I'll search for her until I find her."

McKay fights his own anger bubbling up inside of him. He looks at Sheppard and in a low tone breaks the silence, "Just… _leave it_ , Sheppard."

Sheppard is not going to drop it. "She didn't let anything slip?"

A contest of frustration is taking place between them. A long week of being cooped up in the Daedalus, with little sleep and the failure to find anything, is surfacing on both sides.

McKay responds, after rolling his eyes at Sheppard's persistence on the matter, "No, as I told you, she made sure she couldn't be traced or linked to anyone."  
"Hey! Don't get irritated with _me._ She knows personal stuff about my team. This gives me reason to believe she is linked to us somehow. We just need to find out who or what that link is."

McKay suddenly stops in the corridor. How is he going to get this through to Sheppard?

Sheppard turns around and glares at McKay, who takes a deep breath before he continues, "John, how are you going to find someone who clearly doesn't want to be found? There's no evidence, plus, she is invisible. When you put the two together, they make a killer combination. You simply can't compete with that."

"What do _you_ suggest we do, Rodney? I'm not prepared to give up so easily."

McKay approaches him, holding his gaze.

"Leave it, it's not worth our manpower or time. Woolsey gave us a week and still we haven't found anything. I can guarantee you, General Caldwell won't agree to continue searching. Look at me, besides the wound in my thigh, I'm fine."

He manages to squeeze out a smile that breaks up the tension between them.

 _Drop it, please drop it._

"You're right, McKay. But you know that I don't like my teammates being taken captive... especially if it's by our friends the Wraith."

"We can't go after every threat. I believe she meant us no harm and what she asked of me, it wouldn't have aided us in any way. I think it was a location or something along that line. May even have been a map, I can't be sure."

Sheppard turns in the direction of the Mess Hall.

"It's a shame you didn't have all the information. I would like to have seen what it was that she had to kidnap you for." He pauses before adding, "My spidey senses are tingling, McKay… something's most definitely fishy."

McKay wants to interrupt, but Sheppard continues before he can. "Wait, just listen to how I see it… They kidnap a scientist to figure out a location, then let him go. It doesn't make sense, no one goes to so much trouble just for a map."  
"I know, but honestly, there is nothing we can do about it now. We just have to wait and hope that we stumble across her planet or better yet, her. I wish I could be of more help, but everything happened so quickly. You know how I react to certain doom."

Sheppard nods in agreement.

They enter the Mess Hall and head for the nearest table where assorted food has been set out for lunch.

"I understand, Rodney, don't sweat it. Like you said, let's hope we stumble across her. We can't win them all." He takes an apple and offers McKay one, "Here, have one."

McKay replies with a sarcastic, "Wow, thanks, I'm starving," but he takes the apple and departs for his lab, leaving Sheppard in the Mess Hall. He isn't hungry, he has better things to attend to.

Sheppard takes a plate to dish up, thinking. _That's odd. Why didn't he stay for lunch? He never turns down a good meal, no matter what has happened to him_.

He shrugs. "Aw well, more for me." He sits down at the nearest table, but his confused expression remains.

 _Maybe this kidnapping has got him more ruffled up than he has admitted... And since when does Rodney turn down an opportunity to strike back_?

While John is pondering over his friend's behaviour, Rodney, aka Dallan, enters his lab and sits down in front of the laptop, but his mind is mulling over too much for him to work on it. It's been overactive since his coming across this mysterious person, who had captured him. Somehow, she is linked to this whole business.

 _To have another race, which may be deemed more powerful than mine, out there, the Wraith and Atlantis, it's a huge threat. How can you fight someone with the ability to disappear at will?_

Dallan hits the table in frustration.

He has to get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible. He may even have to send Dr McKay on a hunting mission when he gets closer to the truth. It won't matter when they disable their fail-secure, though... then no one will be able to beat them.

 _Ha, my team will annihilate this race before Sheppard or the Wraith can. As quickly as you captured me, leaving no trace, so you will disappear… PERMANENTLY_.

A devious smile appears upon his face.

 _Before the threat can become a threat, it will have been dealt with. The same goes for the Wraith._

"I want this Galaxy to see who the real enemy is. They'll bow before me, their ruler." A joyous feeling bubbles up within him at the mere thought of it.

Zelenka enters the lab to check on Rodney and asks, "What did you say?"

Dallan turns around and looks at Zelenka with a blunt expression before saying, "Um, nothing, just talking to myself." Confused, he asks, "Hey, what are doing here? I don't recall radioing you."

"Just wanted to see how you're doing."  
"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" He asks, irritation evident in his voice.  
"You got kidnapped, stabbed and then spent a week on the Daedalus... you must be exhausted."

"I'm fine… see!" He does a 360-degree turn and stares at Zelenka, irritated and wanting him to leave.  
"Alright, I get the picture. Shoot a guy for asking, sheesh. I'll leave you to your business."  
"Thank you. Now please… Scoot, I've got work to do."

Zelenka disperses, mumbling words in Czech, clearly expressing his thoughts on how he was just treated.

"I heard that…" Dallan places his hands on his head.

Since taking on this form, he has had to deal with a lot of fears, anxiety and arrogance. Why didn't he choose someone like Sheppard or Woolsey? Still, he did need someone with intelligence, someone who could enter Atlantis' labs without suspicion.

He grunts out, "Almost there, I'm almost there."

Since Dallan first infiltrated Atlantis as Dr McKay, he's found a method to send his companions data when the Gate is being used by Sheppard's team.

Every time they step through it, he leaves a device behind on the planet they've just explored. Once they complete their mission, he activates it, sending a transmission on a frequency only his race can receive. When they detect it, they retrieve the device and download their instructions.

"Ingenuous, if I do say so myself."

Dallan takes a deep breath and exhales gently before he starts typing the following out on his laptop:

" _To: Damian, Second-in-Command_

 _Target: Telcan_

 _They are brilliant hunters and trackers, better than those here on Atlantis. Send two Shifters that take the form of two of the villagers. One is to return to base and the other is to stay and blend in with the villagers._

 _I have a feeling that we might need some trackers on our side for the near-future. Be as discreet as possible. After you've completed this mission, carry on with Dr McKay's next mission._

 _Dallan."_

"That ought to do it." He declares, as he leans back in his chair, finally able to relax for the first time in weeks.


	7. Chapter 7

_A MONTH LATER_

- **M11629** : Rendezvous planet -

The Star Gate activates on the uninhabited planet.

Heavy panting and undertones of pain can be heard as the Gate shuts down. Having just come from the Telcans, wounded and exhausted, Shadow limps towards the nearest tree to her right and leans against it.

Blood is seeping from a cut on her right thigh, just below the sidearm. There are noticeable lacerations on her hands and arms, blood gently trickling. Scratches visible on her face.

 _Got to get to safety, got to get to safety. Need help as soon as possible_.

She activates the emergency transmitter in her watch, to signal to Daedalus for a rescue, limps slowly towards a thicket a few feet to her right and heads into the forest... Away from the Gate, away from detection.

"Got to make sure nobody finds me," Upon reaching the thicket, she goes down onto her knees, crawls into it and lies down on her back.

 _Now to wait for the Daedalus to arrive_.

She looks at her watch. "Thirty-minutes before they get here." Adrenaline is surging through her body, numbing the shock it is experiencing. She takes out a bandage from her vest and ties it around her thigh were the cut is, then turns over to lie on her stomach.

 _I've got to slow down this bleeding… slow down my racing pulse, stop this shallow breathing and relax my muscles_.

After ten minutes, she manages to control her breathing and bring her pulse down to normal. Pain starts to surface more than before. She groans softly.

Twenty-minutes pass by…

Her radio earpiece activates and Wilson's voice can be heard. "Shadow, we've detected your position. Are you ready to be beamed?"

"Beam me up now! Beam me up to the infirmary! Quickly, _please_." Her groan echoes out over the radio.

Wilson turns to the technician beside him and says, "You heard her, infirmary _now_."

Light envelopes her and seconds later, she reappears on the floor of the Daedalus' infirmary.

Doctor Lloyd rushes over to her position. "What happened to you? You're a mess."

He goes down on one knee and motions to the medical staff to place her on the closest bed. "Nurse get the IV drip."

They gently place her down on the bed. One nurse takes Shadow's vest off and another, the side-arms holstered on her thighs. Bruises are evident on most of her upper body.

Shadow scans the room and asks, "Where's the General? I... I... I got to speak to him, please."  
"Not in this state, you won't."  
She grabs the doctor's collar holding his gaze. "General Caldwell… _now_!"

"Okay, okay, relax… Major Wilson should have alerted him by now."

He gently places his hand on her shoulder, "Okay, just lean back and allow me to check you for further injuries."

She leans back against the bed. Her body on the verge of writhing in pain.

Dr Lloyd takes a needle and injects some sedative into her IV drip to lessen the pain a little.

"Were you in some sort of catfight? Look at you."  
"It sure feels like it, Doctor."

She clenches her fists every time he touches her wounds. It's been a while since she has received so many blows.

He checks for bruises on her upper body and after finding some, concludes, "I might have to put you under a scanner to see if you are bleeding internally."

She shakes her head at him. "No, not now. Not until I have spoken to General Caldwell."  
"Shadow, you might have internal haemorrhaging. These bruises definitely…"  
"What I have to say to the General outweighs the import of my injuries. You don't do anything more until I say so. I've had worse, believe me. If something goes wrong, you won't be far away."

General Caldwell and Major Wilson enter the infirmary, their faces both bearing concerned expressions."My goodness, _look at you_! What happened?"  
"Ah, thank goodness, General, you're here... Could you tell these people that it's not like I stepped on a landmine."

He scans the room and then looks at Shadow. She looks pretty beat-up, but he respects her request, saying aloud, "Okay, relax people, give her some space to breathe and recollect her thoughts."

The medical staff disperse, heading back to their posts, except for Dr Lloyd, who stays behind to clean the lacerations on her arms and the cut on her thigh.

The General walks over to her bed. "Alright, you've got my attention. _What_ happened?"  
"I've stumbled across our enemy, Sir."

Caldwell and Wilson's reactions are different. One was surprised, the other, sceptical.

"How's that even possible? This was just a follow-up mission. There was no previous sign of them on MK2283."

Shadow becomes uneasy, because she hasn't come from MK2283, she was on another planet.

Wilson sees the change in behaviour immediately, but decides to keep silent and wait for Shadow to reveal what it is that she's hiding from General Caldwell.

"That's because we didn't know what we were looking for. They were amongst the population."  
Wilson intervenes with, "The planet you came from, right?" Obviously trying to draw her secret out...

She stares at him, as she simultaneously fights the pain flowing through her body.

She sees his agenda. _Better come clean_.

"No, I stopped on Telcan on my way back from MK2283."

General Caldwell is shocked, he has never even heard of this planet before and it's not on their list.

He looks across at Wilson, who smiles wryly, and then back at Shadow, thinking it's best to keep listening than to scold her for disobeying a direct order from the I.O.A. Information on their enemy outweighs it for now.

He clears his throat. "Yes and?"

Shadow has the stunned look now. She swallows and continues, "I stayed with them for a few days when I got some Intel on our missing enemy. I didn't know they were in the village until it was pointed out to me by their leader, Samoa. He befriended me and told me stories of deformed human beings entering through the Gate."

"Deformed how?"

Shadow cringes as Dr Lloyd starts cleaning with the lacerations. She stares at him. He keeps his gaze on her lacerations but she can see he is listening attentively to her report, more than focussing on his job.

"They have no distinct shape and their appearance is transparent, much like that of an amoeba." She feels the Doctor shudder next to her.

Caldwell and Wilson are confused, trying to imagine what it is they are dealing with.

Shadow continues, "Samoa sent out a team of two scouts to investigate. Only one came back to report on what he had seen, the other one was dragged through the Gate. Apparently, when these deformed beings come in contact with a human, they shift or form into him or her."

"Shape Shifters?"  
"Sort of, General. Only, once shifted, they can't change back or form into another human. They stay in the form of the human they first touched."  
"You know this for a fact or are you speculating?" Wilson asks.

 _Wilson's acting unconcerned_.

She chooses to ignore him.

"They mimic every detail as humanly possible. There is no way to distinguish them from a human. There is no harm when they transform into their host."  
Wilson interrupts again with, "So what you're saying is that they kill their host by choice, not because they have to. That's comforting!"

This time the General stares at Wilson.

"So how did you get so banged up Shadow?" He asks, returning his gaze to her, "Don't tell me you challenged one?"  
"By the looks of it, General, I would say that she did." The Doctor says.

Shadow glares at the Doctor for taking the liberty of answering on her behalf.

"No, General, I didn't." She says, grinning at Lloyd.

She looks at the General again. "Samoa told me the scout who came back started to act differently. He seemed to be snooping around. At first, he assumed it must have been what he had experienced at the Gate, but later he realised that this guy must have been a Shifter. He had no evidence at the time to support his assumption. Then, a fight occurred in the village a week later, involving the scout and somebody else. Samoa said when the scout hit the other person, he went flying through the air. Something he had only witnessed once before - when the Wraith attacked them."

"No one thought this to be abnormal?" Wilson's interference seems deliberate to Shadow. It is like he is trying to prove his point about not sending her on missions alone.

His trust in her was all pretend, something she had noticed when they did their recon mission on Romas.

Her pulse slowly increases, along with her frustration.

"Even if they did, Wilson, they would not say or do anything about it. They are afraid to."

Caldwell starts to pace up and down in the infirmary.

He turns to Shadow. "This is what we feared, that we might be facing an enemy stronger than the Wraith. We have our work cut out for us." He pauses for a short while, before asking her, "So if you didn't challenge them. Why are you wounded?"

She grows nervous again. "Well Sir, I was out hunting with Samoa and his sister, Eloisa…"  
Wilson interrupts again. "Oh, so you did more than just stop at Telcan, you stayed for some time... Explains a lot."

The General starts to sense the growing tension between the two of them.

Shadow has had it. "Would you stop it? It's not like I'm the only one who has secrets!"

Confusion is evident on both the faces of General Caldwell and Dr Lloyd.

"What are you implying?"

Her outburst has taken its toll, she can feel it. Her wounded state isn't helping her at this stage.

"Kyle didn't agree with the sanctioning of my solo missions. And now he's proving his point. Not just that," she points at him, anger evident, "He's a fully trained soldier and not _just_ an analyst, as both of you led me to believe. He was asked to 'spy' on me... wasn't he? But not going along with me kept him from doing so."

The room is silent.

Dr Lloyd is shocked to hear this information, but the General isn't fazed by it.

Shadow's body started to tremble, as her temper rises, pushing her pulse back up.

The Doctor notices the increase and turns to the General, whispering sternly, "Listen, if I were you, I would allow her to finish her report and sort out this dispute later. She needs further medical attention, something I'm gonna provide, if you keep on upsetting her."

This time he stares at Wilson. Caldwell follows his gaze.

Wilson is staring at Shadow, upset. The rage he had kept hidden is trying to surface.

"I understand, Doctor." Caldwell says in response, as he walks over to Major Wilson and whispers in his ear, "This is not the time, Kyle."

Wilson wants to defend himself, but Caldwell stops him, "You are dismissed Major."

Wilson salutes, "Yes, General," and walks out of the infirmary.

Caldwell turns to Shadow, who is fighting the massive pain she's experiencing. She needs to get this briefing over and done with - and quickly too.

She gives the General no gap in which to speak, continuing with, "I was hunting with them when a villager came to inform us that another fight had broken out in the village. The Shifter was involved again but this time he didn't start it."  
"But he revealed himself again." General Caldwell says, as he moves over to her bed.

"I took the opportunity as a means of intervention. I shot at him, but the bullet went straight through... Leaving no evidence of blood behind it."  
"Nothing happened?"

 _How can that be?_

She nods. "Not even a scratch and it didn't slow him down either. He came at me and we fought hand-to-hand for a while. It felt like I was hitting a wall and that wall was hitting _back_. I was thrown against a hut. When the villagers saw this, they shot arrows at the Shifter. It managed to weaken and slow him down - but not for long. I managed to grab my swords and fend him off, but, in the fight, he managed to get a hold of them and wound me... I've never experienced something like that before. He was like a super-charged human being."

Caldwell feels growing disbelief, yet realises that if one Shifter could subdue Shadow and some villagers, they were going to have a tough time bringing down an army of them...

"You said the arrows weakened him and not the bullet. Does it then mean their weakness are primitive weapons?"  
"I suppose so, Sir."  
"Which leads us to believe that they are man-made rather than an alien race."

Caldwell sits down in the chair next to her bed, while he filters through what she has said.

Shadow's mind is fighting both the pain and disappointment. She tries to ignore it. The Shifter was within her grasp but she couldn't capture him. She had all the information needed to contact the Daedalus beforehand, but keeping Telcan a secret outweighed it... and she paid the prize for keeping quiet.

"Is the Shifter still alive?"

"Yes, Sir, but he got away. I couldn't subdue it, even with the villagers' help."

Caldwell notices the defeat in her voice. "Do the villagers know who you are and where you are from?"  
"They know me as Eva, an orphan adopted by a traveller."  
"Good thinking. It might work in our favour. This Shifter is still out there but the only information he has is that you're this traveller, not a S.G.C. agent."

Shadow nods in agreement.

"We now know what we are up against. That means we are moving forward with this investigation, faster than I'd predicted. I'm sorry you got caught in the middle of it."

He stands up. "One more question before I go... how did you manage to escape without the Telcan's knowledge? They wouldn't let you go in this state. Or did you convince them you could get better medical care elsewhere?"

Shadow stares into the distance, everything happened so fast that she can't quite recall the events that took place _after_ the fight.

"I'm not sure, General, I think I chased after the Shifter, but didn't reach the Gate in time, so I dialled our rendezvous site. Someone must have followed me and assumed I went after him."

She pauses for a few seconds before adding quietly, "It was nothing like I have ever encountered before, General. I was fighting a brick wall, every blow was like a shock going through my whole body. This Shifter's will to fight was incredible, even while he was wounded. And the confidence that it couldn't be defeated was his advantage."

"Yet, it still fled, Shadow, even with that confidence."  
"How would you feel if a whole village attacked you? Even an advanced super-soldier would have ducked for cover."  
"He knew his cover was blown. Whatever his mission was, he had to get back to his planet in one piece."  
"I believe he was left behind to monitor the village and gather some Intel."  
"Then he got what he wanted."

Silence fills the room as the conversation comes to an end. Caldwell feels it is best to allow Dr Lloyd to finish his examination.

"I have what I need to relay the info back to the I.O.A. Lloyd needs to get you under a scanner and assess your injuries. When you have rested, we'll do a proper debriefing in the morning."  
"I guess I have a lot of explaining to do..." Anxiety starts to set in."Yes, you do, but not now. The focus is on getting you back on your feet. Well done, Agent Shadow."

Caldwell walks past the Doctor and says, "Lloyd, she is all yours."

He smiles at Shadow and heads to the Bridge. He has to contact Atlantis and explain their delay. They are overdue with their routine supply run.

* * *

 ** _A Few Days Later_**

Wilson is nervous, as he enters the last corridor leading to the General's quarters. He doesn't know what to expect. It's not like his behaviour was professional when Shadow returned wounded from a mission.

He can't explain his actions during that time, but he didn't like that the General just accepted Shadow's insubordination. She revealed herself to another society when her orders clearly stipulated she was not to befriend anyone outside the S.G.C. Maybe it was his character contesting her behaviour.

 _Perfection keeps everyone alive, including yourself_. _Or is it that she's human_?

He was about to find out what General Caldwell had heard in her debriefing. Tensions must have run high.

He knocks on the door, breathes in and exhales quietly.

 _Calm yourself Kyle. Nothing to worry about._

"Enter." He opens the door and follows the General's gesture for him to sit down.

"I'll get straight to it. Agent Shadow made a compelling argument in regards to Telcan. I decided to accept it - and I'm prepared to defend her when the I.O.A. cross-examine her."

"May I ask for a summary of this argument? She disobeyed a direct order _and_ got wounded because of it. How can she possibly be allowed to carry on with this Expedition?"  
"Wilson, you're so tough on your fellow soldiers. You can't expect everyone to be like you…"

Caldwell waits for the advice to sink in. "It happened in the beginning, when she got assigned on the solo missions. She came across their village and was watching them when her cloak disengaged. She quickly came up with her cover as Eva, an adopted traveller's daughter. She was forced to befriend them. It's ironic, because if she hadn't done that, we wouldn't have had the opportunity to gain this much intelligence."

Wilson cringes, he had really thrown the horse in front of the carriage this time.

Shame creeps in as he asks, "Okay, so I admit that worked out for her _and_ for us. But was it really just an accident?" He is sceptical…

"Yes, it was."  
"What was her argument then?"

"She felt bad for endangering them, so she requested that we offer to protect them and in exchange, they allow us to use their planet as a temporary base."  
"Interesting, so we can help protect them and have a place to stay at the same time."  
"It would keep Atlantis at bay. We don't have to keep explaining why we are in the Pegasus Galaxy more than usual. We could use it as an operations' base to run scout missions from."  
"And she thinks we can achieve this how?"

"They've given her a sort of a free pass. She can come and go as she pleases."  
"And us? How can we come and go without disclosing who we are?"

"We are her ally. She came across us and we befriended her. We're kind of like space merchants that will help when possible."  
"Wow, she's really got you sold on this." He leans back in his chair. "What did these people do that she has so much trust placed in them? And more importantly, why are you so determined to go along with this plan and defend her when you bring it before the I.O.A.? It's so unlike you."

Wilson's confidence was returning and so was his eagerness to assess this deal General Caldwell made with Shadow.

"They saved her, Major..."

Wilson is stunned.

 _That's what it took to gain her trust_.

The General answers his second question with: "Maybe the I.O.A. will sanction this side-expedition. It's worked itself so neatly into our hands, I would be a fool not to take this opportunity. Agent Shadow has already set up a cover, she knows the Telcans and they can help us narrow down the search for these Shifters. They are the perfect allies. If I wanted to, I could use Shadow's cover as bait to draw the Shifters out. The I.O.A. would just have to fall in with this mishap - it's indeed a brilliant plan."

Wilson sits there, feeling speechless.

He is seeing a different side of General Caldwell. One which Shadow somehow knew how to activate. He has so much still to learn about analysing people.

"I'm sending you with Shadow to negotiate a treaty with them. Let's see what they have to offer in return."  
"But, Sir, why me? Why don't you go along? You can be more persuasive when the time comes."

 _Be careful, Kyle, just submit no matter your distrust in Shadow._

"I know I can be, but I'm sending you because you need to make up for your mishap in the infirmary a few days ago."

Wilson wants to object, but Caldwell continues talking, "I wanted you to analyse her behaviour and so forth. However, you went over the line because you were overeager. She noticed your agenda. This isn't some kind of competition to see who can impress the Commanding Officer more. I wanted you to merely observe, not be a pain in the you-know-what. So, go and apologise. She deserves it for taking your nonsense - and be ready tomorrow morning. You are dismissed, Major."


	8. Chapter 8

**THE NEXT DAY…**

\- Telcan: After Negotiations -

"The Telcans seem to be nice people, warm and fuzzy."  
"Fuzzy? Kyle, are you going soft on me?" Shadow grins at him.

"No, no, just an expression I used. I'm all hard-core action, which I might add, wasn't very evident in the beginning." He grows uncomfortable. "You know on this job, there is no time and place for personal connections, especially with these Shifters out there." He exhales softly.

 _That was way too serious_...

"Major, I was just joking. You're too serious, I was 'expressing' our success with the Telcans... You do know what that means?"

"Yes, I know what it means, and you're right, we do have a reason to celebrate. We've just completed our first, successful negotiation without jumping down each other's throats," he manages a grin, but it seems so out of place to him. "In the process, we've formed an alliance with some very good people, I'm sure they will help us when the time comes."

"I know they will, Kyle."

He looks at her, something is up.

"Do I detect a soft spot there - or do you know that as fact?" He looks away again.

 _I have to stop prying and just let her be_. It was going to take a while for him to back off.

Shadow ignores his question and carries on walking towards the Gate.

The Daedalus was waiting for them at M11629. The trip is silent, but not for Agent Shadow, who is mulling over Kyle's question.

Wilson hit a nerve, something Shadow wanted to hide away from General Caldwell.

 _Although he's hard-core, Wilson knows how to draw out my vulnerability, it's becoming a problem_.

The real reason for the negotiation was because these people had saved her from death, reflecting qualities similar to those of her own family.

 _Yes, so it's personal, but, as before, I can separate personal from business_.

She just hoped Major Wilson would stop digging.

 _He's a profiler and profilers don't stop until they've completed their assessment, even when they've been ordered to halt_. By experience, she knew that.

Until now, she's done a good job to shield her personal feelings and actions from Wilson, General Caldwell and the I.O.A. But Wilson's persistence was prodding a subject that she disliked: admitting she isn't perfect and that even a brilliant covert spy like herself can make mistakes, can have a heart.

"We've reached the Gate, what's the address we need to dial?"  
"It's M11629."  
"Thank you. I still don't know why we had to come through the Gate. It's not like the Daedalus couldn't drop us off."  
"It's punishment for disobeying his orders."  
"Maybe for you, Shadow, but not for me."

"Oh, yes, I forgot. You're the poster boy for the army, always following orders."  
"What can I say, if you got it, then you've got it?"

"Alright, smart guy, just dial the Gate. Some of us have to catch up on mission reports."  
"Yes, sadly, life still goes on... Okay, here goes."

As Wilson dials the Gate, Shadow looks back at their surroundings.

A sadness comes over her as she does so - she misses home, misses her family and the times when she used to venture into the forest close to their farm. This planet helped her breakaway from the rush and buzz of the Daedalus.

"Shadow, come, it's time to go…"  
"I'm coming." She manages to squeeze out a smile, as they step through the Gate and onto M11629.

Wilson can see the sadness in her eyes.

 _She definitely has a heart for them and she's trying very hard to hide it, but the eyes don't lie_.

"Doesn't measure up to Telcan, now does it?" He says, drawing no response from her. He taps his radio earpiece, "Daedalus, this is Major Wilson, we're ready to be beamed."

A few seconds later, they appear on the Bridge. They greet the crew and set off for the Conference Room where General Caldwell is awaiting them.

"So how did the negotiations go?" He motions to the available chairs opposite him as they enter.

Wilson goes first. "It went well, Sir, they agreed to all the terms."  
Caldwell looks at Shadow, "And you, Shadow? How do you think it went? Did they seem honest in their agreement?"

"I believe so, they were excited that I had introduced you to them. They need all the help they can get and they are willing to fight alongside us, if and when the time comes to fight the Shifters."

"They agreed to be a home base for the Daedalus in return for training and medical supplies."  
"What I could see when I stayed there was that they are skilful hunters and trackers. Their request means advanced hand-to-hand combat, weapons' handling and tactics... Which I think we can undertake when we set up camp there."  
"It seems reasonable, we need the available help."

Shadow looks earnestly at the General. "I believe we did the right thing. They need us just as much as we need them. Do you think it possible to leave, let's say, a dozen marines behind for protection? For now at least."  
"Maybe, it's not like we're going into battle anytime soon and we do need to head back to earth for debriefing."

Wilson considers her request and decides to support it, rather than contradict it. "Shadow is right, General. We need to offer some kind of protection while away. We don't know what might happen - better to be prepared than unprepared. The Shifters may come back or even decide to attack Telcan."

She is shocked Wilson is approving this.

"I propose you leave me behind with the soldiers, then I can monitor what is happening on Telcan. Then, I can finally get to those Atlantis team-shadowing missions you promised me."

"Both of you make a valid point. Since when did you start backing one another?"

A humorous smile is shared between them.

"Okay, I give in. Shadow and a dozen marines will be left behind to initiate setting up camp and start with basic training. You'll be in command, Shadow. Your shadowing missions will come after you've helped the marines settle in. You have today to get everything in order. Pick your team and don't forget to include a doctor."

He looks at her. "What are you waiting for?"  
"Oh, yes, that's my cue to leave." She walks out the room, leaving the two gentlemen behind.

Caldwell can see the concerned look on Wilson's face. "You think it is a mistake to send Shadow to Telcan, don't you?"  
"She's emotionally tied to the place, General, like she was with the kidnapping mission. If you allow her this liberty…"

"I've seen it too, Wilson. But her instincts thus far haven't been wrong. I've chosen to ignore her involvement and have decided to focus on her skills instead. It hasn't yet been influenced. If she says she can do this, then I trust her to do it."

Silence fills the room as Caldwell allows Wilson to contemplate the real reason for his objection.

He is somehow allowing Shadow to crawl under his skin. The thing is, she is just being herself and _that_ bothers him. He was used to being precise almost his whole life.

There is no room for personal feelings - that is how he was raised. Now all of a sudden, he is given the responsibility to look after someone else, someone that is a mystery. Mysteries, in his eyes, needed to be solved.

He was so caught up by her reactions during McKay's kidnapping and now the Telcans that he has become fascinated with her situational approach.

Caldwell notices the look on Kyle's face. He is warring within himself.

"Am I to assume that your objection is personal?" He gives him a moment, Kyle nods.

"There... That is the reason why I haven't asked you to join them. I've learnt that when something gets too much or overwhelming, I should back off before I cross the line. Lines do become blurry, especially because we're far from home. I advise you to set boundaries for yourself, Major. I have - and so has Agent Shadow. This is your first time on a big assignment out here in the Pegasus Galaxy, Shadow's too frankly. She knows what is at stake because that is where her experience lays. I trust her judgment - and so, too, must you. I've already told you to stop digging but your mind combined with your character is finding it hard to switch off. Work on it - or you'll become a thorn in her flesh. Look past the weaknesses and look at the good, otherwise, you'll have more enemies than friends."

Wilson is surprised that the General knows so much. He seems so hard-core and stern, but now he is being sympathetic.

"Thank you, General, I'll take it into consideration."

"Agent Shadow has come across some good people who she's willing to risk her identity and life for. That to me is worth my reputation. We now have allies, who have also come in contact with our enemy. This supersedes Shadow's mistakes and weaknesses. It proves she is not perfect and being in a place far from home, she'll make mistakes. Yet, somehow, she has this gift that allows her to recover and balance it out."

"Why are you willing to stick out your neck for her?"

Caldwell opens the drawer next to him, takes out a document and hands it over to Wilson. Wilson's name is written at the top.

"What's this?"  
"It's a confidentiality agreement." He pauses, before saying, "To be blunt... I work for the President, Kyle."

Confused, Wilson asks, "Don't we all work for him? I thought he knew about S.G.C. and the I.O.A.?"

"Yes, he does, but his knowledge of this International Expedition is vague. When Agent Shadow came on-board, so did the President. It seemed he wanted someone on the inside, who could report on the work the I.O.A. and S.G.C. did in the Pegasus Galaxy. It was the only place that wouldn't allow the President to get a proper foothold. Having her here, provides it. The I.O.A. was in need of help and the President saw the opportunity to step in and monitor their operations. Now that he has his foot in the door, he can assess the threat coming his way. He made an oath to the American people to defend them at all cost. But how can he, if he doesn't know who his enemies are?"

"All this time, I assumed Shadow was a part of the S.G.C., because, far as I know, the military coincides with them and the I.O.A. So Shadow hasn't really been trained for this?"

"She's an international spy who works directly with the Secretary of Defence. The I.O.A. needed someone with her skill-set, who could properly defend herself with any type of weapon, who could think on her feet and infiltrate places unnoticed."

"Hence, Agent Shadow."  
"Hand-picked personally by the President. So she has the highest clearance available in our country... and on-board the Daedalus."  
"She outranks S.G.C. and the I.O.A.?"  
"She does…"  
"Why are you in charge?"

"The President thought it wise to avoid suspicion. For the moment, the I.O.A. is in control of our operations. They don't know Shadow and I report directly to the President. Anything that may seem to be leading towards a war, which could threaten earth, and we are to inform the President as soon as we can."

 _Where do I fit into this plan of the President? Why would there be a confidentiality agreement with my name on it?_

"Why me, Sir? I get the feeling I wasn't chosen for this Expedition by the I.O.A. or S.G.C."  
"I chose you because I needed someone to help balance out the team. The President had a hand in it too. He said it would be best to inform you at some stage. This moment has been deemed perfect for just that. Please go through the document and memorise your requirements. Once signed, you're to carry out those requirements immediately. Although you wear the uniform, you won't be a S.G.C. member anymore... You'll be a part of a hidden team."

"Is this document written personally by the President?"

Caldwell nods.

"Give me some time to go through it. I have a lot of things to process and take into consideration."

Both men stand up and they shake hands.

"When you have, and hopefully, you have signed it, I would like to discuss your involvement. You see, now you're _for_ Shadow, not _against_ her. You'll have to be willing to agree even when you disagree."

Wilson cringes at this.

 _Am I to take orders from her? It's going to be a while before that happens. But the secret team kind of beats that fact for me. I'll just have to look past all the wrong and look at what she's done right. Fortunately, I have the perfect coach and she doesn't even know it, but it's her._

He smiles uncomfortably and says, "Understood, General." Then he heads to his quarters.

Caldwell sits down for a while, trying to relax and forget about the events of the day.

 _I didn't imagine that I would have so much difficulty with Kyle. His résumé didn't paint the whole picture... He's a good man, follows procedures, but can he be stubborn!_

 _It's like this man has decided Shadow's the enemy because he can't analyse her properly. Shadow knows how to use her deductions of other people to be a chameleon. That is why she is such an expert._

 _For now, I'll have to deal with his personal vendetta, but he'll see the light - and soon I hope. At least I have Shadow to help get Kyle into line... the correct line, that is._

"I believe that will keep him pre-occupied for a while."

 _Best to check up on Shadow and sign off on her team. The sooner she disperses, the better. Thank goodness we have allies and a second home base. Our search for our hidden enemy has finally come to an end. All we have to do is: find the Shifter's planet - and crush them_.

He stands up and heads to the Hanger Bay, where last preparations are being made to establish their home base.


	9. Chapter 9

A YEAR LATER

\- Atlantis: Mess Hall -

Laughter fills the Mess Hall as Sheppard's team sits around a table sharing news they've heard about a ghost traveller. Sheppard's team consists of Dr Rodney McKay, Ronin Dex and Tyla Emmagan.

Ronin, once an elite soldier on the planet Sateda, became a Runner who fled the Wraith. Sheppard's team helped him escape the Wraith and later asked him to join them. Repeatedly, he has shown his cunningness and skilfulness as a warrior, as a dangerous ally to have, who remains loyal to his friends.

Tyla Emmagan was once the proud and confident leader of the Athosians, from the planet Athos. She's known for her experience with other cultures, which makes an ideal guide for Sheppard's team. Like Ronin, she is a strong and capable warrior.

"I've heard this traveller is a woman."  
Sheppard smiles, concealing his desire to be teasing. He replies, "Of course, McKay, you want _every_ stranger to be a woman and oh, yes, blonde."

"There's nothing wrong with it, Sheppard. Reminds me of someone I used to work with."

Ronin: "Yeah, we know."

Smirks spread around McKay's teammates' faces.

Tyla: "Rodney wishes every woman could be like a certain Colonel with long blonde hair."

Sheppard tries to hide his laughter: "No, Tyla, that one has been replaced by a certain doctor with long blonde hair."

They burst out laughing, except for Rodney, who is not amused."Come on, guys, let's focus on the traveller... so much better than this conversation." His protest reveals his embarrassment.  
Sheppard: "Come now, Rodney, don't be embarrassed, we're just teasing."  
"There's teasing then there is deliberate mockery... This feels deliberate to me." A not-so-happy smile appears on his lips.  
Ronin: "Man up, McKay."

Smiles appear, which embarrasses McKay even more. There is nothing more painstaking than having your friends tease you about someone you liked.

He decides to turn the attention back to the original discussion.

"So this traveller…..you ever heard of him or her, Tyla?"  
"No, this is the first time. And you, Ronin?"

Ronin shakes his head.

Sheppard: "Don't you think it's weird this person is out there and we've never crossed paths?"  
McKay: "Yes, it's funny, this famous traveller, going about the whole Galaxy and all, has never once tried to contact us. We're famous too, you know."  
Ronin: "So what? He travels, doesn't make him worth pursuing. I just say we leave him."  
Tyla: "If this traveller is as well-known as the people claim he is, we could learn much from him."  
Sheppard: "Yeah, I agree, but we have no means of contacting this person. It's hard to look for someone who comes and goes like a ghost. Just ask Rodney."

He gives him a wry smile. McKay rolls his eyes at Sheppard and says, "Yes, you're right, I would know. Thank you for that reminder."  
Sheppard smirks, replying sarcastically, "No problem, McKay."

Suddenly McKay snaps his fingers, as a thought occurs to him. Sheppard's eyes light up at the same time.

Sheppard: "No… you don't think?"  
"It's possible…"

Ronin and Tyla stare at the two, confused.

"It can't be. You said the woman was invisible and never showed herself. Maybe she could if she _wanted_ to."  
"She didn't deny that she was of an advanced race. They may possess the technology to cloak people."  
Sheppard's schoolboy expression of fascination is evident, "Now that would be cool."

Ronin, confused and annoyed, butts in: "What are you guys talking about?"  
Tyla: "I believe they are referring to the woman who kidnapped Rodney last year."  
Ronin: "The one he couldn't see?"

Tyla nods in agreement.

Their conversation is interrupted by the Intercom in the Mess Hall.

"Sheppard's team report to the Control Room please… Sheppard's team to the Control Room."

Sheppard: "That's our cue."  
McKay: "Sounds urgent."  
Sheppard: "Woolsey always sounds urgent."  
McKay looks at the team and asks, "To be continued later?"  
Sheppard smirks and answers sarcastically with, "Can't wait!"

They disperse to gear up and a few minutes later, arrive in the Control Room, with the sound of the Gate activating.

They stare at Mr Woolsey, who is standing next to Chuck, one of the Gate technicians.

Sheppard: "What's going on?"  
Woolsey: "We've just received Lt Jonathan's Identification Code."  
McKay: "His team is not due back until tomorrow."

Sheppard: "It maybe their scheduled check-in."  
McKay: "Makes sense."  
Woolsey: "Lt Jonathan claims to have someone with him who has important Intel on the Wraith. He is requesting permission to send this person through."

Ronin: "I say we go there and find out who or what it is."  
Sheppard: "I agree with Ronin. We should check it out first, it may be a trap. Permission to go, Sir?"

Woolsey doesn't reply, as something has occurred to him.

In case of an emergency, the I.O.A. suggested their spy contact Atlantis via one of the Alpha sites, where Lt Jonathan's team is at this very moment. The password to enter Atlantis would be to offer Wraith info in exchange for safety.

Meanwhile, Sheppard's team walks down the stairs to the Gate Room, patiently waiting for their order to go through to the site.

"Lower the shield, Chuck."  
"Yes, Sir."

He activates the key to lower the shield, while Woolsey walks to the small balcony overlooking the Gate room.

"Stand down, Sheppard. I would like to hear what this person has to say."  
Ronin: "He's making a mistake, Sheppard."

Sheppard looks up at Woolsey, "Yes, Sir." Then looks at Ronin, "I don't like it either, but he knows what he is doing."

He turns to his team and says, "Stand down, guys, but be alert. Anything suspicious Ronin, you stun. Okay?"

Ronin smirks and sets his gun to stun.

"I hope you know what you are doing."  
"Me too. We'll just have to wing this one."

They turn their attention to the Gate as Mr Woolsey gives the go-ahead. Seconds later, a beautiful woman steps through leaving the team speechless.

Her appearance is that of a warrior: athletic build, about 5.7 ft. in height, tanned skin, with medium brown, curly hair and piercing green, blue eyes. The brown coat she has on, looked like a waistcoat from the front, but a normal coat from the back. A black shirt evident underneath. Long, dark brown boots stretch up to her knees, covering the tight black pants she's wearing.

From their perspective: a single sword in its sheath can be seen across her back. A quiver of arrows is holstered on one hip and a Recruve bow in its sheath on the other. A dagger evident next to it. The woman is geared up for battle.

Her hands are raised, signalling her surrender, as the Gate shuts down behind her. From _her_ perspective: a dozen marines have their weapons set on her. Sheppard's team are more confused than alert. She is smiling at this warm welcome, excited that Woolsey allowed her through.

General Caldwell said the plan might not work but she has to warn Woolsey: a traitor, aka a Shifter, is amongst his people. The I.O.A. would never have allowed this but Woolsey would have the guts to listen to her. They had to take the chance in the hopes that she would be granted audience with Woolsey.

For now Agent Shadow, S.G.C., the I.O.A. and General Caldwell don't exist. She is Eva, the traveller most of the Galaxy has either seen or spoken about... The perfect cover to flush out the Shifter living amidst Atlantis' population.

McKay whispers to Sheppard, "She looks like Robin Hood slash Joan of Arc."  
"Really? More like Green Arrow meets Thor."  
"A female Ronin." McKay gets a glare from Ronin at that comment. "Maybe not."

McKay looks at Sheppard again and asks, "Who is she?"  
"Don't know, but it seems we're about to find out."

Eva walks over to where the team is, at the bottom of the stairs. She gazes at Rodney, making him uneasy, then looks at Sheppard.

"May I speak to your leader? I have some valuable information I know he'll like."

A wry smile is evident.

Sheppard steps towards her and asks, "How do you know I'm not the leader?"

Her being there is a huge red flag in his eyes.

 _I didn't know who you are. Why point you straight to Woolsey? What's your real objective?_

She looks at Rodney, then back at Sheppard, "You're not. You still have dust on your boots from your recent trip. Your gear indicates you were about to embark again."

She pauses to check out the rest of the team's reactions. "The leader of this place would have to be sophisticated, have a clean appearance and his stance: hands next to his side or even folded behind his back. Yours, Sir?" She looks at Sheppard. "Your stance is that of a military man. Your hand on your weapon is the perfect tell-tale sign... Now why would a military man be in charge when he constantly needs to go to other worlds? Leaders don't do much leg-work."

She tilts her head to see McKay's surprised expression.

"The man I'm looking for is over there."

Eva points up to Mr Woolsey in the Control Room. Inside she is excited.

 _What a brilliant piece of profiling._

The team is staring at her now, the obvious question racing through their minds: Who is this person?

McKay is lost in paradise as he stares at her.

"I'm Eva, I would like to speak to your leader. I mean you no harm, so if you like, I can leave my weapons with you?"

Mr Woolsey reacts by walking out of the Control room towards the Conference Room, left of the Gate room. He stops at the top of the stairs and indicates for her to follow him. "It's alright, Colonel Sheppard, I'll take it from here."

Eva smiles at the team, steps in McKay's direction and taps him on the back before she goes up the stairs, "Science doesn't always save the day. See you later, people."

Smirking, she joins Mr Woolsey at the top and disappears into the Conference Room.

Sheppard: "She's like a female Sherlock Holmes." He turns to Rodney and smirking, says, "Hey, you're still staring. Get a hold of yourself."  
Rodney protests with, "Seriously!? It's not like that at all. How did she know I was a scientist?" He is quick to defend his real motive for staring at her.  
Sheppard shrugs, "That was weird, wasn't it?"

They all respond with a 'yes'.

"Come, it doesn't look like we'll be leaving for our mission any time soon."

They head for the armoury, discussing their new visitor along the way.

McKay: "Her voice sounded familiar."  
Ronin: "Did you see her weapons?" Fascination evident.  
Sheppard: "Kind of cool, hey?" His face opening into a huge smile.  
Tyla: "She seemed like she has been to many planets. It's strange that I have not seen her before."

Sheppard: "Yeah, but her appearance: dead give-away she is some sort of spy. For who? That is what Mr Woolsey needs to find out."  
McKay: "She freaked me out. Did you see how she kept staring at me? Like she knew me or something."

Sheppard tilts his head in Rodney's direction: "Relax, Rodney, I wouldn't worry about it. She just wanted to show us she could profile people."  
McKay: "Why do you think she is here? What could she possibly have that we need?"  
Tyla: "I'm sure Mr Woolsey will inform us when they are done talking."  
Ronin: "I wouldn't keep my hopes up. Either she has nothing - or we have allowed someone to infiltrate this city."  
Sheppard: "Both of you are right, but we'll let Mr Woolsey sort this out. For now, let's carry on with our normal activities."

The team enter the armoury.

Sheppard continues, "I'll start by 'cleaning' my boots. Apparently they are dirty."

Laughter echoes down the corridors, as the team prepare for their first day of peace and quiet. One long overdue.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Atlantis: Conference Room**_

Mr Woolsey approaches the end of the table, on the far side of the room. Leaving a good few feet between them. He doesn't know what to expect, but her being there could only mean trouble. Not just trouble out there in the Galaxy, but in trouble with the I.O.A.

He turns around expecting an explanation, yet she is silent and holds his gaze.

Who is going to speak first?

She knows the room is bugged, but he doesn't. The Daedalus is going to arrive in a few minutes, with the sole purpose of beaming them up and away from any surveillance. She has to talk about anything else other than her real objective till then.

Woolsey decides to break the silence.

"May I ask what information you have…"

He is interrupted when Eva walks towards him. She reaches into her coat pocket, takes out a document and hands it over to him.

He unfolds it and asks, "What's this?" He sounds confused.  
"That is a document sent from my leaders explaining why I'm here. It's proof to support my reason for being here."

Mr Woolsey sits down on the nearby chair and scans through the document. It reads:

 _"CODE RED._

 _For fear of Atlantis' being bugged, the Daedalus will be in orbit 10 minutes after Eva has entered Atlantis. You will be beamed up to be thoroughly briefed on the situation._

 _General Steven Caldwell."_

 _Vague, but it will have to do for now._

Woolsey gazes at his watch - three minutes to go. He observes Eva, keeping his composure as professional as possible. So now to pretend that the document stated: The Wraith info is legit.

"So you think this will help us win the war with the Wraith?"  
"I think it will get you a step closer to reaching that goal, Sir."  
"Let's say I believe this to be valid... What do you want in return?"  
"You'll need a guide."  
"Of course," He pauses, "but I believe there is more to this than what you want me to believe."

"If I'm to guide you, my head will be on the chopping block. You see, my leaders sent me here knowing that they can't protect me."  
"So, you seek sanction?"  
"Yes, Sir. If I I'm a part of your people…"  
"You want to use us then?" He looks down at the document, then up at her. "Why would I trust you or your people for that matter? You're capable in defending yourself. What's to say you won't lead us into a trap?"

Woolsey stands up and moves over to where Eva is standing, "It's not hard to fake a document."

Eva turns around and walks towards the closed doors."You think I'm a Wraith worshipper?" She tilts her head in his direction.  
"There are a lot of those around these days. It's hard to tell foe from friend."

 _Seems like she has rehearsed this little conversation beforehand._

"Who do you think I am?" She smirks. She is starting to like this improvisation.

"I think if your people are serious, they would have sent two representatives, instead of one surely?"  
"And?"  
"How did you come to hear about us?"  
"Who wouldn't know of the people keeping the Wraith at bay?"

Woolsey smiles at her question.

 _Interesting woman, I have to admit._

"Let's say I grant you this request... Will it be the right decision? Because your argument isn't very compelling. This is how I see it: you have info on our mutual enemy and in return, you want to be a part of the mission. When completed, you request sanction because your people are unwilling to protect you. Result: The Wraith attack us, instead of your planet."  
"Sounds about right to me."

 _Okay, so let's round this little conversation off. The Daedalus must be here by now._

"It sounds selfish to me. Atlantis does all the leg work because your people aren't willing to face the repercussions? We don't gain anything from this, except the Wraith striking back at us. I'm sorry, it's not worth my manpower."

 _That should do it._

Silence fills the room, as the conversation starts to reach an end.

Suddenly without warning, both of them are beamed up into the Daedalus' Conference Room where the General is waiting.

Eva: "It's about time you got us out of there." She says this with a relieved smile, as she walks over to Caldwell.

 _My imaginary appeal was starting to run thin._

Caldwell: "Richard."  
Nods to say 'hello'."Steven."

Woolsey sits down on the chair opposite the General.

 _Let's get on with this._

"What is she doing in my city, General? You know the I.O.A. and S.G.C. stipulated, when their spy was in severe danger and could not be extracted, that he or she was to contact Atlantis. She looks perfectly fine to me. Do you realize I put my neck on the line when I allowed her to come through that Gate?"

Caldwell is staring down at the table. He knows they defied a direct order, but Atlantis' safety is at stake, they have to act quickly. It is the only way to get the message through.

Caldwell regains confidence in his decision, "If you listen to what we have to say and why we risked coming to you…"  
Woolsey looks at Eva, "Who is she really?"  
"Richard, meet Agent Shadow."  
"Shadow... what kind of a name is that?"

"That's my alias, Sir." She smirks in reply. "Eva is my real name."  
"So this is the spy the I.O.A. kept secret. Not so secret anymore. Now, do tell me... What's going on?"  
Eva: "We believe that you have a traitor in your city."  
Woolsey: "I wasn't talking to you. Remember, you don't exist. It's only because of the General here that I think you worth speaking to. You defied a direct order, that's court martial for you."  
Shadow asks: "You're not going to listen to what I have to say?" Frustration evident.

 _Don't you dare shut me out; I have risked my life to expose these Shifters to save your city on the water!_

"You?" He points at her, "No." The he points at Caldwell, "Him? Yes. Now inform me." He glares at Caldwell.

"The reason we risked Shadow's cover was to inform you about a new threat that has been uncovered in the Pegasus Galaxy."  
"A threat?"

Caldwell nods."Yes, Richard, a greater threat than the Wraith."

 _What?_

"Impossible, the I.O.A. would have informed me of this at the beginning of their mission if this was true."

"They didn't because the threat had no name or occupation at the time. The Intel was very weak and we had to confirm if it was real or not. Therefore, the S.G.C. and I.O.A. decided that it was best to keep it a secret from all Atlantis base personnel until we had discovered and eliminated the threat ourselves."

"They were acting on circumstantial evidence?" Woolsey is confused, "And they didn't think it best to include us."

Caldwell: "They wanted it to remain in-house."  
Shadow: "Atlantis is engaged in a war with the Wraith, the I.O.A. didn't want to add more pressure to your situation."  
"Well, that's very kind of them. But now it seems their plan has backfired, otherwise you wouldn't be telling me this. What is this threat you thought wise to keep hidden from me?"

General Caldwell slides a folder over to Woolsey. It contains the most recent information on the Shifters. He opens it as Caldwell gives him a short summary.

"They are called Shifters…"  
"As in Shape Shifters?"  
Shadow: "No, Sir, these can only change once."

Caldwell: "They are deformed human beings with no distinct shape. Their appearance is transparent, much like that of an amoeba. Shifters have the ability to take on any human form. Once in contact with one, they have to stay in their human appearance. Although the change is instant, the emotional side takes a few hours to adjust because they too have a personality of their own. They can blend in and stay hidden for as long as they want."

"Do they kill their human subjects?"  
Shadow: "It depends on if the human is willing to co-operate or not. Most of the time they don't so we assume they take them captive."

Caldwell: "Once shifted, they have strengths and abilities that outweigh humans and those of the Wraith. The Shifters are super beings, advanced weapons bred for combat. Weapons fire and Wraith stunners are no threat to them."  
"Sounds more like Replicators than Shifters to me."  
Shadow: "Shifters are not the same, believe me, Sir. One weakness keeps them from being immortal."  
Caldwell: "Agent Shadow has encountered a few and barely made it out alive."

"Okay... what's this weakness?"

 _What!? That's the thanks I get for coming to you. We should have gone to the I.O.A. instead._

Shadow, clearly unhappy, answers the question, "They can be wounded by primitive weapons like: arrows, knives, swords, spears and needles. Our bullets go straight through them - and Stunners have no effect."  
"They are man-made, Richard, and not alien as we thought. Shifters were designed just as the Replicators were. Yet, what distinguishes them from one another is they aren't made out of Nanites, but out of organic material."

Shadow: "They are planning to deactivate their fail-secure in order to become immortal."

Woolsey leans back in his chair digesting the info he has just heard.

 _This is only the summary, what still remains in the folder in front of me_?

Slowly but surely, things started to make sense to him.

"How long have you been at this General?"  
"Almost two years."  
"Why have they taken so long to reveal themselves?"  
Shadow: "They have been seeking out hidden rooms across the Galaxy."  
"Hidden rooms? What hidden rooms?"  
He looks to Caldwell, waiting for an explanation.

Caldwell: "They are of Ancient design and contain the Shifters' final coding."  
"Ancients? The Ancients designed them? How come we've never come across this data in Atlantis?"

Shadow: "This particular Ancient was operating outside of his bounds. His experimentation was shut down after the Atlantian Council found out about it. They didn't want another Replicator incident, so they made sure the data was erased... or so they assumed."

Caldwell: "However, this Ancient claimed this design was a step up from the Replicators and wouldn't cause as many problems."  
"Still the Council declined it - but the scientist continued with it, I presume? Sounds familiar."  
"Yes, unfortunately he did. According to our calculations, they have one location left until they have all the data they need to de-activate their fail-secure."  
Shadow: "All we have is a map of their operational base, but not the location of their planet."  
"How have you been tracking them?"

Shadow: "We came across the first room by accident. Data was recovered indicating where the next planet was, but not the room's location."  
"How's that even possible?"

Caldwell: "Our scientists determined that the location of the next planet was added into the database just before we discovered it."  
"But then you should have caught them by now."  
"I wish it could be so, Richard, but they have been a step ahead of us so far - until recently."  
"The Shifters have only one room left, until they have all the information necessary to complete their plan."

Woolsey gets out of his chair and paces about the room. Both General Caldwell and Shadow gaze at him, as he mulls over their dilemma.

 _These Shifters combined with the Wraith… It's a huge problem. General Caldwell had the right to contact Atlantis because this threat has to be dealt with immediately. However, what does it have to do with a traitor being into my city?_

Woolsey turns to them and says: "Okay, General, I admit, you made the right decision to contact us. However, it still doesn't explain what it has to do with a traitor being in my city."

Shadow whispers to the General, "I thought this would be obvious by now."

Caldwell responds with a grin, Woolsey notices this and says, "Shadow, do you mind filling me in?"  
Embarrassed, she answers his question, "Traitor equals Shifter amongst your population, Sir."

Woolsey never thought of making the connection.

 _Great, I was thinking more along the lines of a non-Shifter operative working in Atlantis and not an actual Shifter. They must have some hard evidence to back this claim._

He manages to keep a straight face, but inside he is shocked that it might be true.

"Are you sure or is it based on circumstantial evidence?"

Shadow: "What do you mean, 'are you sure'? We wouldn't have done a court martial able offence, if we didn't consider it to be a massive threat. Do you understand what's going on? I've seen how they've levelled a settlement, leaving nothing but debris behind, I've seen how they infiltrate a person's life and carry on as if they are the real deal."  
"I'm sorry, but it's just all of this is very hard for me to take in."

Anger is surging through her body.

 _I can't believe his incompetence_.

General Caldwell's hand on her arm seems to calm her down, making her realise Woolsey is looking at this from a political sense.

She looks at him, "If there is a traitor on your base, everything you know has been compromised. And has been for four years."  
"Four years?" Confusion, succeeded by irritation, is beginning to rise within Woolsey.

 _Why would Star Gate Command and the I.O.A. keep this quiet for so long?_

Caldwell: "We assume the traitor has been living amongst you for four years. It's enough time to become familiar with the surroundings, the routines etc."  
Shadow: "It's also enough time for the perpetrator to find the information on the hidden rooms."

Woolsey sits down at the edge of the table. He is numb within as he stares down at the table. Discouraged, he asks, "Do you know who it is?"

Caldwell: "Yes, Shadow and another member of the crew managed to narrow it down to..."  
Shadow interrupts and continues without hesitation, saying: "It's Dr Rodney McKay."

Suddenly, Woolsey raises his head, glaring at her, confused, "McKay!? Why do you think it's him?"

Shadow gets up and walks over to a screen mounted against the wall. Turning to Woolsey, she asks, "Do you remember the day McKay was kidnapped?"  
"Oh, so it was you then? Glad to hear my assumption was correct."  
Caldwell: "We have the footage of when Shadow," He pauses uncomfortably, before finishing off with, "When she persuaded him to help us."

Woolsey frowns at General's behaviour. _Maybe the kidnapping wasn't his finest hour_.

"Alright, show me what you've got."

Shadow: "Just a head's up, I'm there, but invisible." She clears her throat and continues, "I'm wearing a cloaking device."  
Woolsey is surprised. "So McKay _was_ telling the truth then? We all thought he had hallucinated... explains a lot. Please, do continue…"

Caldwell can sense Woolsey's sceptical tone.

 _My, are you in for world of shock! Wait until you see this._

Shadow presses the 'play' button on the screen and the video starts at the point just before she inflicted McKay's injury:

 **"Think what you like, Dr McKay. Can you figure it out or not?"**

 **"Yes, if I had the 'key' to unlock it with. You can't give half an equation and yet, you expect me to complete the full one. I need something more besides this piece of code."**

 **Rodney smirks. "Again with the silence… really? Or was it that I ruffled your…"**

 **A knife appears.**

 **He starts to protest. "Hey, hey, I'll see what I can do. I promise!"**

 **"Not good enough, McKay!" A sharp pain rushes through his left thigh, next, blood seeps around the spot where the knife is embedded into his flesh. He bites his lip to keep from screaming in agony.**

 **"I told you not to cross me, McKay. Next time, you won't be so lucky."**

 **Rodney has a mixture of shock and anger in his eyes. "How do you know that I was or was not telling the truth? You stab an innocent man for being honest?"**

 **"I know you, McKay, I know every bit of detail about you that I possibly can. Don't tell me otherwise because I know you'll lie." She pauses slightly, then carries on with, "I don't play games, I really don't!"**

 **She yanks the knife out of his thigh.**

 **A blood-curdling scream fills the room, as McKay squirms in pain. Heavy breathing follows, then a little bit of laughter. His reaction makes Shadow uneasy.**

 **He tilts his head backwards, a smile evident upon his face."No kidding, hey? Where's the fun in that?"**

 **Confusion strikes her. "Come again?"**

 **"Where's the fun in not playing games? I like games, especially the ones that involve deciphering."**

 **"I wonder, would Dr Zelenka react the same way? He would probably be screaming in agony right about now."**

 **McKay has a confused look.**

 **"I bet he would have co-operated from the start. But he's not you, is he now?**

 **McKay stares straight ahead of him.**

 **"Come to think of it, I should have taken him instead of you. Man, would he have had an incredible story to share when he returned to Atlantis. All the attention… People congratulating him for surviving. Ah, I can see their faces. Amazing feeling when you have lived to die another day. Wow!"  
"How dare you compare me to him? His skills next to mine are nothing..."  
"Oh… so you were the right person to kidnap, then?" She smiles at her accomplishment.**

 **"Don't you dare patronise me!"  
"Not at all, Dr. Rodney. McKay."  
"So help me… if I get out of here, you will be the first person-"  
"The first person to what? To kill, to shoot, to annihilate? Ha, now don't you dare patronise ****_me_** **. I'm in control… confess it, you don't like it at all. Being tied up, at the mercy of someone you can't see, is somewhat demeaning. The opposite of WHO. YOU. ARE!"**

Woolsey: "Alright, I've seen enough."

Shadow pauses the video and takes her position next to the General.

 _It can't be true. I can't imagine Rodney being a Shifter spy. Why Rodney? His mind… It's for his intelligence. It explains the raiding of the rooms._

Mr Woolsey's expression shows the shock, he is in a state of silence. What he has just witnessed is beyond the normal behaviour of the Dr McKay he is acquainted with. He winces as he recalled the footage.

 _McKay of all people_.

His mind tries to deny the possibility.

"This was last year? Why show this to me now? No, wait; now don't tell me, the I.O.A. ordered you not to."

He is diverting his attention away from this situation.

Caldwell and Shadow gaze at each other, as the same thought crosses their minds.

Richard is denying what they have revealed to him. It must be a shock, yes, but this can't be pushed aside.

Shadow answers the question: "Um, Sir, they don't know about our suspicions."  
"They don't... you sure? Because if I know the I.O.A., they certainly would've requested to see this footage."

Caldwell: "Actually, in a manner of speaking, Richard, it doesn't exist. They didn't want us to record it at all. Shadow here, suggested we do it... just in case we needed it."  
"Good thinking."

Shadow: "Thank you… but there is more. A few months ago, I asked the General if I could resume my solo missions, thus giving me the opportunity to observe Sheppard's team. On one occasion, when they returned to Atlantis, McKay left a device behind."

"He may have dropped it without knowing about it… Wait, you were tailing my team?" He looks at Caldwell, who nods in reply.

 _Not at all happy about it, but it seems it was necessary._

Shadow continues: "That's what I thought at first, yet when I approached it, I saw a light flashing, indicating it was on."  
Caldwell: "Shadow stayed behind for a few hours waiting for something to happen, but nothing did."  
"Before I approached it, the Gate activated and a few seconds later, two Shifters stepped through."  
"They left with it, didn't they?"

She nods.

"Did you follow them?"  
"The Gate shut down before I could. I managed to see the address though…"  
Caldwell: "But it lead to an uninhabited planet. I believe in any event of being traced, they immediately dialled out again."

Woolsey is silent again.

 _This isn't circumstantial evidence. A thorough investigation was done to back their suspicions. She's good…_

"I'm impressed with your skillset. I can see why the I.O.A. assigned you to this mission."  
Shadow: "Good enough to drop my court martial?" A hint of a grin crosses her mouth.

"That's court martials and… I'm still thinking about it." He pauses for a bit then continues with, "Listen, I'm still processing this and all, but you haven't explained why you thought it good to reveal her to the base personnel? You could have beamed me up when you arrived."  
"Yes, we could have, but we didn't spread the rumour of a ghost traveller for nothing."  
"Come again?" When he realizes what Caldwell is talking about, he points at Shadow. "You mean, she is the traveller the base has been buzzing about for months on end?"

They both nod in answer.

"I've heard some of those stories... impressive. So this ghost traveller will contribute in what manner?"

 _This better be good._

"That's my cover."

Woolsey is trying to keep up with them. To him, it seems like they have put a lot of thought into this. Which in turn is very good... less planning from his side.

"Richard, the best way to flush him out is to let Shadow do it. She's kidnapped him and knows how to bring out the worst in the man. Like you have just witnessed."

Richard nods in agreement…

 _She certainly has a way of derailing people. Even get on their bad side, but she also has the knack to get on their good side… and stay there._

Shadow: "We've read up on the base personnel. We saw you lacked an analyst and a profiler. And you need someone who can come and go without being seen. I'm all of those things."

"Trust me, Woolsey, she can do it. I've seen her disappear without the cloaking device."

There is pride in the sentence. Something General Caldwell would not have had in his voice concerning Shadow a year ago.

"She's proven herself, Richard. If you want, we can give you her file to go through."  
"That won't be necessary…"  
"Allowing me to be a part of your city personnel will protect us and for that matter, you too. If we are wrong, you can pull me out. They'll remember me as a traveller and not as a spy. If we are right, we can expose him for who he really is, find their location, rescue the real McKay and finally, destroy them. And still keep my identity a secret."  
"This, all based on the fact of whether or not he is a Shifter? And how do you know if the real McKay is still alive?"

Shadow: "Who else would have planted the data in the rooms? Knowing it would eventually be found by us."

He stands up and adjusts the jacket he has on. He looks at the two of them, sitting on the other side of the room.

 _There's confidence in their eyes. What has been said is relevant and it would help eliminate this threat. Maybe I should trust them and allow her to become a part of the Atlantis Expedition_... _Now there is a thought._

"Okay, let's say I allow this, do you have a plan? I imagine you would've set one in place already. Before you sent her through the Gate and inconveniently dragged me into this."

Both soldiers have surprised expressions. It's not like they knew it would go in this direction, but Woolsey actually caving is the real surprise.

With a smile, Caldwell says in reply: "Yes, Richard, we do have a plan. I'll inform you of it right now…"  
"Good, let's get started."


	11. Chapter 11

_**Planet Delman: Uninhabited**_

A gentle breeze whirled through the long grass surrounding the planet's Gate, as Lyon Damian and Dr McKay arrives at Delman. Damian looks over the coordinates of the hidden lab, while Rodney gets a hold of his binoculars to scan the surroundings.

Ahead in the distance a dam stretched on for miles on end, succeeded by lavish green mountains covered in snow. It reminds him of Canada where he had grown up. Family memories floods his mind. It has been four years since he had had any contact with them or his friends on Atlantis.

He had tried to hold onto the hope of someday returning to Atlantis and to earth. What he had thought would be a short hunt for the hidden labs, has turned into a two-year-long journey through the Galaxy.

Living with these Shifters has taken a toll on his body and mind. He's tired. Tired of everything that's required of him. Not only did he have to play a Shifter spy, but the scientific genius as well. He frowns at the thought. The only bit of hope he has was the assumption that someone had found the first hidden lab, through the trail of scientific bread crumbs he had left behind.

In the corner of his eye, he sees Damian move to his left. It seems that he has discovered the direction they are to go in. McKay pulls himself together and falls in with Damian's stride.

Heading north, Damian walks down the tree-lined path, followed closely by McKay. According to the coordinates Dallan gave them, the hidden lab was four and a half miles from the Gate. To Damian, it was a walk in the park, yet for McKay, it was likely to make for a burdensome trip. Even with all his training as a Shifter spy, he still disliked 'journeying'.

Grabbing Damian's arm, he says, "Listen, I know this is our last mission but couldn't you give me the opportunity to lead?" Damian stares at Rodney's hand before slowly removing it."No, McKay, you are my protégé, not the other way around. And besides, Dallan gave me the responsibility of looking after you."  
McKay is unhappy. "So what you're saying is that I may be the genius but I must always follow and be satisfied with it? I'm not worthless, you know."

"Oh, believe me, I know _that._ I've been hearing about it for two years. You may have had certain liberties with your previous team but you've been under my command these past four years. So I suggest you keep quiet and follow me."  
"After everything we've been through, you still don't trust me?"  
"No…"

McKay rolls his eyes at him.

 _Although you've shifted into this mercenary role, your real self, Lyon, is still evident_.

"Don't try and hide behind your human appearance, you don't fool me anymore."

He pauses to see his reaction, but Damian keeps on walking.

"After spending four years amongst your society, I still don't get your desire to play at being humans. No matter whom you choose to Shift into, your own being will still be there."

Damian stops, turns around and walks towards Rodney. He places his finger on McKay's chest and says in reply, "We do what our leaders expect us to do. This is their cause." Then, he turns his back on McKay.  
"So you blindly follow just to please them?"  
"We do what is necessary... for the sake of our race."  
"I see, even if it means infiltrating innocent lives, destroying their right to be human?"

Frustration flows through Damian's body as he turns to stare at Rodney and exclaims, "Yes!"

They hold each other's gaze for a few seconds. Frustration and irritation surging through both their bodies. Rodney has been at this for a long time, trying to talk some sense into this Shifter.

His leader, Dallan, is bruised by what his creators did to him and this so-called 'cause' Damian speaks of, came about because of Dallan's lust for power... To be 'the ultimate'. He has managed to infect the whole society with the same mind-set. Making them believe all humans are a threat and need to be treated as such.

Rodney points his finger at himself. "I know what I'm fighting for." Then, he points at Damien and asks, "The question is, do you?"

McKay pauses as the Shifter takes a step back. "By now, the character and memories of the person you've shifted into, should have revealed our true human nature. Even a hard-core mercenary has a heart."

A boldness once lost rises up within McKay. His fear of their super-human strength has dampened his boldness of late - but today, alone with Damian, it returns in full force.

"Who are you _really_? Lyon or Damian?" The Shifter is shocked at McKay's persistence. He is used to McKay doing what is expected of him, keeping quiet but now…

"Instead of taking on this ruthless mercenary's form, I believe you could combine _both_ characters, if you wanted to. You don't have to conquer this Galaxy to show who you really are. You have the ability to stop this looming war and live in your natural form... At peace." He allows the last of his frustration to disappear.

 _I've said what's on my mind._

This is the last lab to be raided and therefore, McKay's last chance to persuade Damian he is Lyon, a unique Shifter and not a human. It is now up to the Shifter to decide what to do.

Rodney can see Damian's mind is going around in circles, yet after a while his eyes revealed a certainty that worried him.

This Shifter's mind has been made up. "We'll accomplish what the Ancients wanted to do. They started this and now, we're going to end it."  
McKay walks up to Damian. "You'll end it? They don't exist anymore."  
"They do through you."

Rodney is confused, as he struggled to wrap his mind around that statement."Ha, do you think we are like the Ancients? There is no way we can measure up to them."

Damian wants the conversation to end. In his eyes, McKay clearly wants to use their mission as a last means of escape.

 _He knows his time is up. Does he really think one last plead will help save his pathetic life_?

"You've overstepped your bounds, I suggest you stop right now."  
"No! I will not stop! I've had…"

Suddenly Damian pulls down Rodney into the nearby bush."What are you-?"

Both men are lying flat on the ground, protected by the shrubbery.

Damian, whose hand is over McKay's mouth, whispers, "Keep quiet, someone is coming." He removes his hand.

A few feet away, a Wraith soldier comes walking up the path towards them. Stunner raised, clearly in pursuit of the noise he heard. He passes the spot where the two men lie on the ground. Both hold their breath, as he progresses further up the path. Damian rolls unto his back and exhales softly. McKay stays on his stomach, hands on his head.

Since they don't have the means to check out the planet with some kind of device, they have to face the consequences that could arise from being seen.

The outburst wasn't intended, but somehow it helped to draw out their enemy.

McKay whispers, "What is a Wraith soldier doing here? It's not like there's anything of worth on this planet - at least, not to them."  
"Is that an assumption, McKay? They are here for a reason, you know that, to feed on humans..."  
"I didn't see any signs of civilisation when I scanned the surroundings, not even smoke from a fire."

"Smoke? We were almost caught by a Wraith soldier and you're talking about smoke. This is ridiculous! Four years I have spent training you and this is the result. You've got to be kidding me." Out of frustration, he sighs.

McKay protests but keeps his voice as low as possible, "Hey! Not funny! If it wasn't for your boss's conquering venture, I wouldn't have been here right now. If there is someone to blame, you can, by all means, point your Shifter finger at him."

Rodney maneuvers his body into a sitting position and exhales softly.

Through the shrubbery, Damian stares up at the blue sky. He wonders why he is allowing this human to get underneath his skin. A minute or two passes by - enough time for Rodney to calm down - before he speaks again.

Simultaneously, they crawl out of their hiding place. McKay brushes leaves from his jacket as Damian checks the path. Finding it clear, he walks up to Rodney, who is now dusting off his pants.

"We need to assess the situation."

Rodney stares up at him, then stretches up to his full height. "You mean like scout the nearby surroundings?"

Damian nods, smiling wryly.

"And by scout, you mean me right?" McKay sees the direction this conversation is headed...  
"Well, you wanted an opportunity to lead." Damian smirks as he gestures with his hand, "So, by all means, lead the way."

McKay can't help but smile at his spitefulness. "This is payback for stepping out of line and for the outburst, isn't it?"  
"Something like that." Damian points east, towards the thick bushes, "Lead the way, Rodney. Where there is one Wraith, there is bound to be a Hive somewhere."

McKay catches the sarcasm in the man's voice.

Rodney moves in the direction Damian has indicated, then hesitatingly asks, "If that is the case, shouldn't we be going in the other direction? Rather than walking straight towards starving Wraith."

Damian moves towards Rodney, as both men stare into the thick shrubbery ahead.

"You have a point there but we have a hidden lab to locate. Let's see what happens, then we'll take it from there." He shoves McKay forward.

Rodney is not pleased with his decision but keeps on walking.

A few minutes have passed, when McKay quickly goes down to one knee. Damian crouches down, slowly moving over to where Rodney is and kneels down next to him. Shock overcomes both men. A mile or so out, a large Hive Ship is situated in a midst of a plain, surrounded by large trees.

"No wonder I couldn't see it. The tree canopy makes for a good cover."  
"We have a problem though."  
McKay gives Damian a concerned look, "Don't tell me the hidden lab is somewhere near the Hive."  
"I'm afraid so. The coordinates places the lab a mile north-east from its position..."

McKay sits down on the ground, mulling over their options: Damian is a Shifter, he would have no problem fighting the Wraith - but Rodney isn't.

Up till now, he has relied upon his stealth and intelligence to outsmart the few Wraith they previously encountered but not a whole Hive. If they are seen, an army will come down on them. They _have_ to abort and come back with more men, more Shifters. Hopefully by then, the Wraith will have left the planet to cull.

McKay looks at Damian and says, "We have no other option than to go back and return later, with more Shifters. We are hugely outnumbered."  
"For once, McKay, you are correct. I don't like retreating but we can't risk our being caught - especially you."

 _Wow, Damian, actually trusting my judgment on this? That's a first._

McKay smiles at Damian. "Okay, we will go back and return in an hour, maybe two hours' time. Enough time, you think?"

Inside, Damian feels thwarted. He doesn't like giving up so easily.

 _If I was alone, I could be in and out without a hitch_. _However, McKay needs to be there to retrieve the necessary data from the lab. That's the one area I'm not fully trained in_.

He grunts in reply, "Let's get out of here before we run into more Wraith."

They remain low to the ground, as they disappear into the thickest part of the forest, heading straight for the Gate. The day has gone from good to bad, to worse, something neither of them ever wants to remember again.

For Damian, it has been a complete waste of time and energy, especially with McKay's bickering.

For Rodney, it comes as a sigh of relief. He'll at least manage to stay alive for another hour or so. What happens to him after that remains a mystery though, as it is up to Dallan to decide whether he is worth keeping around or not.

A plan is brewing inside McKay's mind, but for now it has to wait. The important thing now is to get reinforcements and then tackle the hidden room.


	12. Chapter 12

MEANWHILE ON TELCAN, the Daedalus' second home base, Major Kyle Wilson is preparing to lead his team through the Gate to Delman. It will be their first mission without the help of Agent Shadow but, from previous missions and planets they've infiltrated in the past, they know what to expect.

A few hours ago, a probe was sent through that revealed a Wraith Hive Ship three miles away from the Gate. Ruins were barely evident, a mile and a half beyond the Hive, unnoticed by the Wraith. This looks like the place they need to reach.

General Caldwell had a brief opportunity to do some planning and organise Wilson's team according to what was revealed by the probe's camera. Now they know what lies ahead.

Major Wilson stands in front of his team, feeling proud of each member. Together, in the past, they have ventured into the unknown in search of an unknown enemy. Each has their skills that have contributed to the team's overall success. Each couldn't function without the other.

For this assignment, an extra squad of marines and weaponry was supplied, both by the General and Mr Woolsey. This is the last room to find, the last opportunity to show the Shifters they mean business.

With confidence, Wilson addresses his team:

"Listen guys and girls, this is the last planet we have to scout in order to find the hidden room. The Shifter's may have already reached the planet and seen the Wraith Hive. Whether they were brave enough to venture close to the Ship, we won't know until we get there. It may give us the advantage we need to get ahead of them.

I want you to remember _why_ we are doing this. We are doing this to save this Galaxy and Earth, the planet we call home.

Be alert, be attentive and cover one another. Remember the plan and your instructions. Stick to them as much as possible and we'll get through this unscathed and don't engage until fired upon.

This is a stealth mission, we go in and we go out. Watch each other's backs, hold onto your training and you'll be safe. It's an honour to serve alongside you. Do Earth proud! Move out!"

As one, the Unit moves towards the Gate. Wilson trails closely behind, going over the plan in his head one last time.

 _This is my first Op. without Shadow_.

His stomach turns as his mind considers this but General Caldwell's confidence in the mission's success somehow calms him down.

 _I don't know if I'm to be ecstatic or miserable about not having Shadow with on this mission. After a year of restraining myself from profiling her and actually learning to get along, we've finally made peace_.

 _Even the General was surprised I supported her notion to flush out the Shifter on Atlantis_. _I can't fathom the idea of being for Shadow and not against her_.

Lost in thought, he barely hears Samoa, leader of the Telcan's, congratulating him on his 'speech'. He tilts his head in Samoa's direction and says, "Come again?"

"Great encouragement, Major. I could see how much the team appreciated it."  
Wilson grins in reply. "Thanks. Only relaid common knowledge."  
"They needed it, with the Wraith Hive and all."

Wilson gazes at the Unit as they ascend the hill. "Well, it was more for me than it was for them. They know what is expected of them and are willing to carry it out to the end. A few words of encouragement only confirm what they already know."  
"It's always good to hear it from their leader though."

Wilson nods, smiling.

Since the day the alliance was made between the Telcan's and the Daedalus, he and Samoa have come to respect one another. He had come to find that Samoa was a gentle, kind person with wonderful leadership skills, raised to be a tracker and to successfully blend in with the natural environment. He also knows the art of combat and archery. Wilson could see why Shadow (also known as Eva) had fallen for him.

Samoa, mid-thirties, is rugged, 6.1 ft., with icy blue eyes that penetrate the very soul of a man. His skin is a light golden brown, tanned by years of tracking and hunting, whilst his hair is black, with grey flecks evident here and there, and of a medium length. A short salt-and-pepper beard shapes his jaw perfectly. He wears a black jacket, with a camouflage green shirt underneath, and brown pants and short, black boots.

A sword is strapped across his back, whilst a Recurve Bow is sheathed on one hip, next to it, rests a dagger. A quiver of arrows rests on his other hip.

The team descends the hill towards the Gate, now three quarters of a mile away. Wilson and Samoa walk past them and take their position at the front of the Unit. Samoa isn't Shadow but Wilson appreciates having the Tracker's help. For this mission, they will certainly need all the help they can muster.

Wilson catches a glimpse of his partner. There is sadness in his eyes, even though their current mission indicates otherwise. This is to be Samoa's first mission 'alone', without his sister Eloisa or his beloved Eva. They share the same interests and talents, who wouldn't feel right at home? Having a S.G.C. base there, made it even cosier for them. A grin curls on his lips.

"You miss her, don't you?" His grin turns into a smile, as Wilson gazes ahead in the distance.  
His friend's face lights up as he says in response, "It's not the same without Eva or Eloisa. It's crazy I know but it's like we've known Eva for a long time, even though she's a traveller. She's the best thing that's ever happened to Telcan - and to my family." A gentle smile appears at that.

 _The Gate, thank goodness!_

Wilson sighs softly, relieved the conversation has been interrupted.

He turns around to the team, his fist raised in the air and yells, "Halt!" Everyone comes to a steady stop and stands at ease.

He drops his hand and issues the following order: "I want you to divide into your designated groups." He gestures to his left, "Team Alpha," then to the front, "Team Bravo," and lastly, to his right, "Team Charlie."

Within seconds, each member has assembled into the three groups, each of which consist of five soldiers, ranked according to their specialities. A leader, one rifleman, demolition man, a scout armed with a stunner and a soldier armed with a heavy-machine gun.

Samoa turns to Wilson, confused. "Who are Alpha, Bravo and Charlie?"

Wilson can't help but smile broadly at him as he says, "Where we come from, in our military, small groups are designated those names. It's a military communications code of sorts, that runs from A-Z. Because of our large numbers, it's just easier to organise and remember. Understand?"

Samoa nods at him. "And we are?"  
"As we will be moving on our own, the teams will check in with me." Wilson then points towards the Gate. "You can start dialing the address."

As Samoa heads in its direction, he turns his attention back to the teams and says, "Team Alpha, you'll go first. As soon as it's clear, Bravo and Charlie will follow. Samoa and I will head for the ruins once you've reached your separate coordinates. No one is to engage unless discovered. That means: you stay hidden. If and when there is trouble, you radio me at once. If not, check in every 15 minutes. Understood?"

As one, they answer, "Yes, Sir!"  
"Alright... Alpha move out!"

Team Alpha moves forwards into a V-shaped formation, passing through the Gate and stepping out unto Delman. The area surrounding the Gate is lightly covered by long grass. After they have progressed a few feet, they fan out and inspect the nearby tree line for any signs of Wraith.

Their leader reaches for his binoculars and directs his gaze in the direction of the Hive Ship, located three miles East.

As expected, the area is covered by a large, thick canopy of trees, but when he focuses in on the specific location, the Hive is barely visible. They would not have even detected it, if it wasn't for the Probe's footage.

The Alpha scout bends down on one knee and announces: "Sir, there are recent signs of one, possibly two Shifters, coming and going in this direction." She gestures east.

Alpha leader: "Good. It confirms the Shifters were here." He taps on his radio.

Wilson's voice comes through: "Yes?"

"Major, we've located the Hive. They've managed to hide it very well. If it wasn't for the probe, I think we'd have been in for a huge surprise."  
"Good news, Alpha leader."  
"Major, we've discovered some footprints indicating that two people came and went. Indications are that they were Shifters and not Wraith. Over."  
"Affirmative, Alpha. Take your positions around the Gate, Teams Bravo and Charlie will be with you shortly. Over."

The leader gestures to his team, "You heard the Major, to your positions and keep your eyes open."  
"Yes, Sir!"

A few seconds later, Teams Bravo and Charlie step through and take their assigned positions. Bravo heads East and Charlie North-East, fanning out along the way. Protected by their camouflaged gear, they silently disappear into the forest.

Orders were: a mile out East and North-East, dig in and set up a watch. In the event of Major Wilson's and Samoa's being discovered, they are to be the defensive line.

* * *

MEANWHILE, MAJOR WILSON is going over his gear. Samoa stands next to him, patiently waiting for their signal.

"Are you alright, Kyle? You seem nervous."

Wilson exhales softly and inhales again, steadying his heart rate.

"Yeah, I'm fine. What makes you think that?" He asks, as he relaxes his shoulders.  
"Overall, you've checked your gear more than three times... It would seem you are nervous."

Wilson looks at him before answering with, "I can see why that might indicate that I'm nervous - but there is such a thing as being overcautious, you know."

Smiles are exchanged between them, after which time two taps echo over their radios.

"That's our cue. You ready?"

A grin appears on the other man's face as he nods in reply.

A sharp light shines into their eyes, as they reach Delman, making them squint. As their eyes adjust, the light is replaced by a large dam in the distance, which shimmers brightly in the sun and, just beyond it, a mountain range looms up, covered in snow.

Team Alpha's scout comes running up to them, informing them that everyone is in position and awaiting further instructions.

"Thank you, Lieutenant. You can tell your leader that we are about to depart. He is to inform the rest of the teams and then to maintain radio silence until the scheduled update. Dismissed."

"Yes, Major." The scout salutes and then disappears into the bushes.

Wilson stares east. "I think we have to avoid meeting the Wraith at all costs. We may have the element of surprise, but when they know we are here, we won't have much time for a retreat."  
"Agreed. You want to adjust the General's plan?"

"Yeah," Wilson takes out a copy of the coordinates and gazes at it. "This indicates that the ruins are a mile-and-a-half away from the Hive, somewhere between east and north-east."  
"Then it's best to go north-east by about five miles and then approach from the south... rather than heading east and around the Ship where the multitude of Wraith would be."  
"Exactly. You go on ahead, while I update the other teams... Stay out of sight."

* * *

THREE HOURS LATER, Dr McKay and Damian reach the ruins, unaware that Wilson's team has already found the lab, retrieved the data and erased it thirty minutes ago.

McKay catches his breath as he searches for clues with which to locate the lab's entrance.

"It's a good thing we went back for reinforcements. Otherwise, we'd have been toast right now."  
"Just find the entrance!"

Damian is flustered. A few minutes ago, they managed to outsmart some Wraith soldiers. Fortunately, his men's diversion gave them enough time to slip away.

"Okay! When this Ancient scientist hid his lab, I don't think he took ten thousand years into consideration."  
Damian faces McKay and replies with a fierce tone, "I don't _care_! I don't want excuses. Just find the entrance and be done with it."

McKay wants to reply, but Damian cuts him short with: "You're a genius. _FIGURE IT OUT_! My men can't keep this up forever. You know as well as I do that they can't reveal their true identity."

Frantically, Rodney searches the area. His foot brushes over a barely visible lever, which causes a pedestal to rise up next to him from underneath the ground. On the top is a hand formation, just like all the others found at the previous labs.

He places his hand in the centre. A few feet away, to the north, the ground opens up, revealing a staircase.

A grin forms on McKay's lips as he declares, "Found it!"

As he rushes over to the opening. Damian, who has standing watch a few feet to the south, darts towards McKay.

"Great!" He follows Rodney down the staircase, torch already lit.

As they reach the bottom, the room lights up by itself. Both men are shocked as the light reveals two sets of recent footprints shown entering and leaving. Damian moves past Rodney and goes to stand over in the centre of the room, looking and feeling stunned, whilst Rodney remains on the stairs.

Inside he is amazed, but his face shows otherwise.

 _Someone has beaten us to it. That means… they found my bread crumbs! There's hope after all. Someone in this Galaxy knows about the Shifters and hopefully the news has already spread to Atlantis. When Dallan hears about this, he's going to be furious..._

* * *

\- Atlantis: The Daedalus' Conference Room -

Mr Woolsey and General Caldwell are sitting at the conference table, as Major Wilson reports in on the success of the team's mission.

Woolsey: "I believe your team has retrieved the last bit of info. regarding the Shifters?"  
Wilson: "Yes, Sir, we have - and as ordered, we have also erased the data."  
Caldwell: "Are you quite sure that they didn't get to it before you did?"  
"Positive, Sir. There was no evidence of their entering the room."

Woolsey: "We'll just have to assume that they didn't get to it then."  
Wilson: "Mr Woolsey, it doesn't mean they won't have discovered it by now and if they have, they'll see that someone has been there before them..."  
Woolsey: "But they don't know whether it was us or the Wraith that got to it first."

Caldwell: "True but now we must act fast. When word reaches the Shifter on Atlantis, our recently acquired advantage may well turn into our disadvantage - and we don't want _that_ to happen."

Woolsey stares over at Caldwell, who shares the same earnest expression. "Then it's time we set your plan into motion, General."  
Caldwell nods, "I agree," before looking up at Wilson and saying, "Major, get me Agent Shadow."


	13. Chapter 13

_**A week later**_

\- Atlantis: Richard Woolsey's office -

A soft knock echoes through Woolsey's office, succeeded shortly afterwards by footsteps. The leader keeps his eyes trained on the file in front of him. He scans through it for the umpteenth time, as Colonel Sheppard sits down across from him.

Silence fills the room again, as Woolsey remains engrossed by Shadow's file. He can't believe a covert spy could have made so much progress in just _two_ years, whereas the Expedition had taken _seven_ years to get them to where they are now.

 _Benefits of a small group working together to fulfil a goal, I guess. A group working on an Expedition like ours can do so much more but the size of it, can at times, be a disadvantage. A small group, however, can maneuver effectively without losing balance or, in our case, suffering casualties._

 _I think I'm starting to understand why the Romans succeeded in battle... They had the numbers, but separated them into smaller groups and sent spies to assess territories. Efficiently following their Supreme Commander's orders to a tee, they managed to defeat their enemies._

 _However, they didn't have a Galaxy to cover like we do. The reason for the Daedalus's recent success is that they have a spy, who can come and go at ease, searching for the Shifters. That is their only focus._

 _They don't have the added stress of battling the Wraith and Replicators, creating alliances and commanding so many people like I have to._

In the distance, a voice tries to pierce through to his preoccupied mind."Mr Woolsey... Mr Woolsey?" Sheppard speaks his name a few times before Woolsey realises there is someone else in the office with him.

"Ah, yes." Woolsey places the document down and shifts in his chair, while adjusting his glasses. "Sorry, I was lost in thought."

"It's okay. You wanted to see me?"  
"As you know we have a visitor in the city."

Sheppard nods but his face shows the discomfort of having _her_ there. She's the first person ever to be beamed on-board the Daedalus before Atlantis's having cleared her.

 _Uh-oh, he's not happy. Wait until he hears what I have store for him and Eva..._

"She's been cleared, both by the Daedalus and the Infirmary. As of now, she's to be a…" Sheppard's mind refuses to hear the last bit of Woolsey's sentence. He knows what it will entail before he even says it anyway.

 _What? He can't serious. She's going to be staying here?_

"With all due respect, Mr Woolsey, I don't know what she said to you in the Conference Room or to General Caldwell - but as Military Commanding Officer of this base, I don't like having someone here when I don't know even who that person is. She strolls onto this base via our Alpha Site, which, I might add, has been compromised. That - and her having seen the inside of the Daedalus without proper clearance... Has our military protocol gone out the window?"

Silence envelopes the room once again, as the men think about the words just spoken.

 _I'm okay, just blowing off some steam. However, Woolsey must have a good reason for clearing this woman, allowing her to stay. I hope she doesn't get assigned to my team, though. She has done nothing to deserve or even to earn my respect and trust._

 _Yet, she looks like a fine warrior to me and it seems she can analyse people just by looking at them. Something that will make a nice addition to any off-world team on this base._

 _Sheppard! What are you thinking? Already mentally assigning her to another team, are we? Without first finding out who she really is. She could be a spy, busy pulling the wool over our eyes. She may even be a Wraith Worshipper sent here to get info., maybe even to sabotage this base - but to what end? Just to be discovered and imprisoned? Doesn't make sense._

 _I have to submit to Woolsey's decision, but at least I've made my views known to him. I'll just have to keep her on a short lease. At all times..._

Woolsey had been expecting this outburst from his military C.O. Gently, he gazes at the man.

 _Sheppard has every right to act the way he did. Frankly, I acted in a similar manner to Caldwell's request when he wanted to add Eva to the base personnel._

 _I had a proper briefing on the serious matter at hand... However, Sheppard will not have the same opportunity. He needs to trust my decision and earn her respect the hard way_. _Fortunately, I know where to start_.

An hour goes by before Woolsey- and Sheppard's discussion came to an end. Colonel Sheppard exits his office with an uncomfortable smile - but he understands the value Shadow can add to this Expedition, may it be nothing more than a bad first introduction on her part.

Mr Woolsey feels confident as he grabs another file from the pile on his desk. Sheppard is to show Eva the protocol around the base. Although Woolsey knows she has knowledge of all the military protocols and the city's rules, he is relying on her chameleon-like ability to blend in, ensuring her acceptance by each member of Colonel Sheppard's team and the rest of Atlantis's personnel.

He stands up and walks over to the office's doorway and says, "Chuck, get me a secure line with General Caldwell."  
"Yes, Mr Woolsey."  
Seconds go by before Chuck gives the thumbs up. "He's ready for you."

Woolsey thanks him with a smile.

 _Our plan has been set into motion: flush out Shifter McKay using Eva as bait._

Colonel Sheppard and Eva enter the temporary quarters assigned to her. The door slides open and architecture familiar to her floods her vision. It has a bluish, reddish appearance, making it look both beautiful _and_ cosy at the same time. The room is bigger than the one she had occupied on the Daedalus for the past three years. What's more, it is also more spacious.

A desk to her left rests a few feet away from a large bed, against the farthest wall. The foot of the bed faces the door. Even a night stand is evident next to it, on her right, near the window.

Gratitude overcomes her, which Sheppard picks up on immediately. Her expression is real, she isn't faking this.

"Pretty cool, hey?"

Eva has a huge smile, stretching from ear-to-ear.

"I can see that having a room like this is the best thing you've come across so far."

 _Tell me about it._

"Yes, you could say that. It's not that the city isn't amazing and all. But when you've been a traveller for as long as I have, shelter like this," she gestures around her at the room, "is the best thing you can hope to come across."

She walks through the room, taking in every possible detail. She even has a balcony, with a view of the ocean and the Control Tower. It is amazing to see.

 _It's the best place I had in quite some time. A room all to myself. I don't need to hide away anymore but I wouldn't mind hiding away in this one. It beats the Daedalus' quarters, hands-down._

Sheppard gazes at Eva, as she 'inspects' the room. There is happiness and excitement in her eyes.

 _It was the same for me when I had first laid eyes on the view this city provides_.

It makes for a unique discovery, one blended with thrill and fear, as he remembers his first encounter with the Wraith. He shakes his head as he returns to reality.

"Um, for the time being, there will be guards outside your room. They'll escort you to the allocated areas set out by Mr Woolsey and by myself. It's just a precaution, you know, until you've adjusted to how things are run around here."

He does his best to be civil, even giving Eva a smile, which she obviously can't see.

She turns around to face him and says, "I understand, Colonel Sheppard. It's how things are done around here, right? I mean, for guests to be guarded at all times, that is?" She tries to feign ignorance, even though she lives and breathes military protocol.

 _You'll trust me soon enough. Once you learn who I really am and what I'm doing here._

He moves a few steps towards her, turning his one side to her and the other to the door, "Yes, it's the mandate around here. That, and it prevents one from getting lost. Having a 'guest' getting lost in this city, wouldn't make us good hosts, now would it?"

He smiles at her, as she responds with a negative shake of the head that is soon replaced by a grin.

 _You're just saying it to make me feel at home - but I noticed your sarcasm and your hint of a threat there, Colonel. I'm no threat but your best friend is. He is the enemy, not me. Now… shall we get on with your tour of the city?_

It is like the Colonel just read her mind, for he gestures to the door, saying, "Mr Woolsey wants me to show you around - not the whole city though, that would take days... But I'll show you where most of the action occurs."

Simultaneously, they exit the room and head for the nearest transporter.

"I would like that, Colonel Sheppard."

They enter the transporter, Sheppard presses the Mess Hall's location on the map in front of him and the door closes behind them.

"You can call me Sheppard."

She nods her acknowledgment of this.

The door opens and they progress into the Mess Hall. From there, he shows her the Recreational Rooms, Infirmary, some of the science labs, the Gate Room and lastly, the Control Room, which she is naturally already familiar with.

She handles the tour like it is her first, hiding the actual knowledge she has of the city. She studied the map of Atlantis every day since being assigned to search for the Shifters. She knows it like the back of her hand: every room, corridor, and vent, where she could hide or find someone who wanted to disappear.

Eva walks out unto the balcony outside the Control Room, followed closely behind by Sheppard. The view almost takes her breath away, as she approaches the railing at the edge of the balcony. Both stand gazing out at the ocean and enjoying the gentle breeze flowing across their faces.

Eva catches a glimpse of the Colonel.

 _He doesn't trust me. I have to do something about it - and quickly. Without giving away my motive, of course. I'll have to throw him a bone and hope he takes it._

She turns to him and says, "Listen, I know you ain't too peachy about me being here. I know you're against the method I used to walk unto Atlantis via your secret off-world site, thus, managing to talk Mr Woolsey and General Caldwell into making me a part of all this," she gestures at the city, "However, I thought that having been a traveller for most of my life, along with the knowledge I have gained from many societies, and with Atlantis's resources, I could help to dent the Wraith's armour in a bit more. Alone, I'd be at this for a long time and to what end? To die a selfish person with all this precious knowledge I've obtained dying with me? Or to help defeat a common enemy of the entire Galaxy? All I'm asking for is an opportunity to be of worth; of more worth than a lonely traveller with no destination and Atlantis, I believe, can give me that..."

She exhales and inhales again before returning her gaze to the beauty of the city and the ocean, gently rising onto and falling upon the piers.

Sheppard is uncommonly silent, it is a miracle that he allowed her to finish her 'plea' for trust.

Sheppard turns to her. His inquisitive eyes fade into a calm and collective gaze. The tension in his jaw eases into a soft smile and makes the tensed muscles in his arms, which were crossed over his chest, relax and fall to his side.

Eva observes the man's relaxation. It seems he bought into the act or maybe he is fooling her into thinking he has caved. Either way, she has said what was needed. Her actions going forwards now have to convince Colonel John Sheppard she can be trusted, as she is indeed for - and not against - them.

Eva hears him sigh, gesturing for her to follow him as he says, "Come, I have something to show you. I believe you'll enjoy it, with you being a traveller and all."

* * *

On a monitor, in a room somewhere near the Science Labs, Eva and Sheppard can be seen entering the Shooting Range. The shadowy figure sitting in front of the monitor, adjusts in its chair, as the camera in the Shooting Range streams the footage onto the monitor in front of it.

The range is within the city, but has been adjusted to fit the necessary requirements for shooting and training. Their voices can barely be heard over the monitor, as Sheppard educates Eva on the different weapons currently used by off-world teams.

After a while, the figure scrabbles something down onto a sheet of paper as Eva approaches one of the assault rifles.

Experience is momentarily evident in her eyes, as she picks up the G36C Rifle and shoots at the target, with a man's shape placed over it. She triple taps the heart and triple taps the head.

Next is a Berretta M9 side-arm that she shoots at the next target with. The triple taps are replaced by double taps.

Lastly, comes the standard firearm all members use: the P-90. She adjusts her aim and shoots the next target with the same accuracy as before, triple tapping both the heart and the head.

The figure tilts its head in the same manner as Sheppard's, who steps forward with a stunned look upon his face.

"Those were some pretty neat shots. All of them are massed in the exact same spot with all three weapons. How did you do that?"

She just looks at him, surprising the figure watching unbeknownst to them. It scrabbles more info. down onto the paper before returning its gaze back to the pair.

She finally answers the Colonel with: "I've come across your weapons before."

 _On the Daedalus, as a matter of fact. I prefer my own weapons to these, but beggars can't be choosers._

Shock fills his eyes as she continues, "Have you ever thought about what happens to your men when they are caught, fed on by the Wraith or have to leave everything behind to escape eminent death?"

Sheppard leaves the question dangling in the air but nods to say he understands what she is implying.

"I familiarised myself with them as I travelled but I had very little…"

"Ammo?"

She nods.

"The ammo is stored in a magazine." He grins, hiding his disapproval of their unclaimed weapons.

"I prefer using my bow, sword and dagger. They tend not to run out of ammo."

Sheppard laughs softly at her comment. The figure manages a smile too but frowns when Sheppard asks her for a demonstration.

He hands her the Recurve Bow and a quiver. Eva places the arm-guard on the inside of her left forearm, then grabs the Finger Tab and places her middle right finger through the hole.

It rests against the bottom of her forefinger and middle finger. Next, she takes an arrow and places its feathered side on the bowstring, making the arrow rest on top of the Bow's 'arrow rest', just above its grip.

In one fluent motion, Eva lifts the Bow, pulls the arrow towards her right shoulder, aims through the sight and silently, releases the arrow. A thud follows soon afterwards, as the arrow hits the target dead centre.

"Wow!" Is all Sheppard can say in reply.

She grabs the next arrow and repeats the same procedure. This time the arrow hits the head, dead centre.

"I normally don't go for fatal shots."

In two quick shots, she hits the target's clavicle bone, running through both shoulders. The next pair graze the target's thighs and the last pair graze the target's upper-arms.

She turns to Sheppard, whose eyes reveal a stunned expression and says, "I normally do it as a warning and also, when I mean for my attackers to leave alive. It's differs with each attacker... You know what I mean?"

The figure leans back in its chair, placing the pen against its chin.

Seconds pass by, when, as a devious smile curls its lips, it leans forward taking a closer look at the different targets. Each have been hit with a pin-point accuracy. She is a formidable warrior, yes... but how will she fair in the Sparring Room?

* * *

Sheppard: "Tyla, I would like you to meet Eva."

Tyla walks towards her and gently bows her head, a motion Eva mirrors.

"Nice to meet you, Eva. Welcome to Atlantis." A warm smile appears on Tyla's face.  
"Thank you, Tyla. I believe this is the Sparring Room and you're to be my opponent?"

She looks at Sheppard, who smiles in reply. He gazes at Tyla, motioning for her to proceed. Then walks over to the window on his right, the perfect position from which to watch the two warriors.

 _This ought to be good._

The room is spacious, with a window on the right and a small amphitheatre staircase on the left. Lines cross on the brownish-red floor that is presently covered by a black sparring mat. Wooden swords and poles are lined up against the farthest wall. All in all, it is perfect for one-on-one combat.

The two women step onto the mat, both bearing determined expressions.

What Eva read up about Tyla flashes through her mind. She has enough info. to know better than to play around with this warrior. However, for fear that she's being watched by the Shifter, Eva also knows not to show her full fighting potential. She has shown her capability in the Shooting Range to keep him at a distance. For now.

"You may commence, Ladies." Sheppard announces, spurring them on with a broad smile.

The warriors walked around the mat, fists raised right before the left, with their feet in the same position. As they complete the first circle, their direction changes and they move counter-clockwise, as they weigh their options.

Eva waits for Tyla to make a move, from there she would use defence as offence.

The Athosian warrior comes in quick, with jab to the left, which Eva counters with a side-step.

 _Awesome first move, but I think you can do better than that._

Eva pretends to come in with a right forward blow, but at the last moment, drops it, succeeding the action suddenly with her left fist. Tyla flawlessly blocks the blow and moves back, a smile curling her lips.

 _Not bad for a traveller._

As the fight progresses, Sheppard assesses Eva's strategy. The way she holds herself bothers him. For a traveller, her moves are clean and methodical. A nomad or traveller, in his opinion, should have mixed techniques and definitely be more rugged. This traveller is clearly no ordinary warrior...

 _She's toying around with Tyla. Clearly holding back her full potential as a fighter. I wonder why? She didn't do that with the weapons. Eva is definitely hiding something. She's pushing her weapon skills more than her fighting. What will she gain by doing it?_

"Come on, stop playing around and get to it. I don't have the whole day."

With that, Tyla turns it up a notch. She goes in fast and low, turning the move into a leg sweep. Eva anticipates it by jumping up and coming down with a right jab.

Tyla, on her back, blocks her right forearm with crossed arms.

The Athosian wants to use a counter-kick and simultaneously, roll onto her knees, using her kick as momentum. Yet Eva surprises her by blocking the kick with a quick hold.

Tyla lies flat on her back, her hands raised in defeat.

"The fight is over?" The spy asks in question, staring up at the Colonel, her eyes steadily fixed on his.

There is a warning in her eyes, for she wants this dual to end. She releases Tyla, offers her a hand and pulls her up.

The women smile at each other, congratulating each other on a good fight, and then turn to Sheppard.

"John, I think we can skip the sparring session. I believe that she's proven herself to be a fine warrior." Tyla places her hand on Eva's shoulder.

Colonel Sheppard walks towards them, "Okay, it seems you have completed all that is required to join our off-world teams."

A soft grin surfaces. Eva gazes between the two warriors, then looks at Sheppard, "I don't think so." Confusion spreads across their faces as she explains with, "There is one more test I would like to do before accepting a position on any of Atlantis's teams."

"And what might that be exactly?" Both look at her, waiting for an explanation, which Eva delivers with a devious smile.

 _Let's play hide-and-seek. I want you to know who you're really dealing with. I may have met your requirements but I haven't yet gained your full trust._

 _When we are done, I wouldn't only have gained your trust - but the trust of the traitor amongst you as well._


	14. Chapter 14

_**Richard Woolsey's office**_

"She wants to do what?"

Woolsey sits on the edge of his table, arms crossed, clearly upset by Eva's request. He has to make his disagreement seem real but, in truth, he backs her one hundred percent. It is the perfect scenario to hook the Shifter with.

"Play a game of hide-and-seek... That's what she called it."  
"I see - and why would she do this?"  
"I don't know, to prove herself, maybe? She's a tough one to read, Woolsey. It makes her unpredictable and this worries me."  
"Duly noted."

Sheppard sits across from him, legs crossed, arms resting on the chair. His face shows uneasiness, but his eyes show his interest in Eva's proposed game.

 _The game will convince the Shifter that she is the perfect candidate to capture and shift into. How he will do it? It still remains a mystery._

 _Hopefully, Eva will allude capture long enough to seize him before they catch her. I'll just have to trust her with this._

"It's an O.K. from me, Sheppard. I want to see her in action. Maybe it will help us, you know. As in, she can train others in her skill set. We need more jack-of-all-trades in this city."

"Are you sure? I mean she's an outsider and you're putting a lot of faith in her not running away with what she has learned so far. All this is happening too fast in my books."

"I know but look at how she can help us. The information she has can assist us with our war."  
"I know."

"Good, it's settled then. I want this game initiated immediately. Inform the base of it and tell them to carry on with their usual activities. I want this monitored and patched through to the Control Room. Let's see if you can hunt down this traveller in an hour. Stunners only and no tracking device for you, Sheppard."

A smile curls Woolsey's lips.

 _This is going to be good... really good._

Sheppard stands up. "You're not serious? How am I going to find her in this city without a tracker?"  
"I'm sure you'll figure something out. You know this city like the back of your hand. An advantage Eva doesn't have."

 _Oh but she does._

John nods as he considers the possibility of beating her at her own game.

 _Sweet bliss._

As he turns to walk out, Woolsey stops him, "Sheppard, I want your team up in the Control Room with me. They won't be helping you with this one."

Sheppard lets out an uncomfortable laugh. "You didn't think I would ask them to help me, do you?" He pauses before finishing with, "Okay, maybe you're right, I would've asked McKay. What's wrong with wanting to win?"

"Our goal is not to see who the best player is, but to see what _she_ is capable of. Why else would Eva request this game? She wants to prove herself because she knows that you don't like her."

"I've already given her the thumbs up."  
"But this is for brownie points." With a grin, he points to the door. "Go prepare yourself. The game starts in ten minutes."

The Colonel walks out of the office with a pleasant smile on his lips.

 _It's going to be interesting to see what Eva will do. Actually an ingenious plan. Today has been a day of gaining the loyalty of not only Sheppard but this Shifter spy. The 'proving ground' has been set and she has gained favour. Let's hope it lasts._

Woolsey taps his earpiece and contacts Chuck. "Get me a secure line with General Caldwell." He then heads for the balcony outside the Control Room.

A few seconds later, Caldwell responds: "The next step has been initiated, General. Please keep track of them, they'll probably make for areas where our sensors can't detect them."  
"Affirmative. Sheppard agreed to this? I thought he would have put up a fight before going along with it."  
"I didn't give him a choice in the matter. At first, I showed my disagreement but later changed my mind and made it worth his while. He's determined to beat her."

"I'm sure he is... and the Shifter?"  
"I discovered that one of the security rooms was under observation - more specifically the area where Eva was tested. So yes, the Shifter is just as curious as Colonel Sheppard. Hopefully this hide-and-seek game will lure him into our trap."  
"Hope it works. In my eyes, he's taking the bait too quickly."

"I don't think so. From what I've surmised, this Shifter in particular is power-hungry. First McKay, next skilled trackers and then, brilliant hunters. Having an analyst, reconnaissance specialist, warrior and weapon's expert seals the deal in my books. He would be a fool _not_ to capture Eva."

"We just need to keep Sheppard's team from going off-world or, better yet, keep Eva from going with them. Otherwise, we'll open a gap for the Shifter to get to her and make the swap. Something we don't want. She has the highest clearance. If she falls into their hands, we'll be in serious danger. One covert spy is enough."  
"Agreed. I'll have to devise a plan to keep Eva from going along but it won't last forever. After this exercise, I give it a week, maybe two weeks, before my excuses run out. I can guarantee you, Sheppard will want her on his team."

"I was afraid it would lead to that but remember, Eva is foremost a Special Agent working for the President. Her priorities lie with her assignment. She knows what is at stake and she'll do anything to fulfil her mission. She'll back you no matter what."  
"Glad to hear it. Listen, I have to go. Sheppard's team have just arrived, which means the Game is about to start."  
"Good, we'll keep an eye on their progress. Caldwell out."

* * *

Ten minutes later and Eva is positioning herself in a maintenance vent, located in the densest part of Atlantis's epicentre, the city's veins. All are either in or around the Control Room tower.

She knows she can't hide here for long, but it will conceal her signature from anyone tracking her via the Control Room. Once alone, Eva's signature can be tracked. She then plans to head for the edge of the city where the sensors are inactive. From there, she will have enough room to get away and more importantly, far away from Sheppard.

Meanwhile, Sheppard, who is in his quarters, receives the go-ahead from Woolsey. He has an hour to find Eva wherever she may be hiding. A huge advantage over her is that he knows the city very well.

However, so does Eva.

The game of Cat and Mouse has started.

Eva, with holstered stunner, silently passes by the Mess Hall, heading towards the Recreational Rooms, the last area where she will be shielded by the population. Sheppard's position is unknown to her. She has to solely rely upon what his file revealed to her about his training.

 _He's close by, I'm certain of it_. _This is the first 'mission' without the use of the cloaking device. Ah, reminds me of my days as Special Agent: covert missions and stealth recons._

 _The cloaking device has made me soft. It's so easy to disappear and reappear without the enemy knowing about it. No challenges anymore, no obstacles to overcome and no adrenaline surges._

 _Man, I miss it... I'm glad I have this opportunity to refresh my skills. I will need it for when I'm on Sheppard's team. Can't reveal I have the ability to disappear at will, then the Shifter will definitely see me as a threat. Fortunately for me, the device only works with my DNA and nobody else's. A technological advantage._

Eva progresses to the transporter, located near the last Recreational Room. She gazes at the map and selects the transporter closest to the inactive sensors on the Western side of her current position. The door closes behind her and opens a few seconds later.

 _Half a mile, then I'll be 'invisible'. It will give me thirty minutes to get outside onto the pier, double back on Sheppard by moving in amongst the populace again, thus, catching him by surprise._

 _No doubt he has a tracker with him - I can use that to my advantage. Why not lure him into a trap and stun him? It will teach him to toy around with me._

Thirty minutes ago: John silently paces the length of his room. Amidst walking up and down, he keeps his mind focused on his strategy. He is an Air Force Colonel. She, an alien traveller. The odds of her winning are next to nothing.

 _From my perspective, Eva doesn't stand a chance._

Sheppard looks at his watch, then out the window, "Ten minutes then it is go-time. If I were in her shoes, firstly, I would head for the areas where the most people are. To lose yourself in a crowd... doesn't take a genius to figure out. Secondly, she's new to Atlantis, she can get lost, maybe even get stuck in a room she's not familiar with. That I can work with. So just search _outside_ the areas I showed her."

A devious smile appears as he touches the tracking device inside his pants' pocket. It possesses the same technology as the life signs detector up in the Control Room.

"This will make finding her so much easier. It's not fair, I admit but what no one knows won't hurt them. How else am I to find her? This is a huge city, she could be _anywhere_."

John sits on the edge of his bed, his heartbeat begins to speed up, but with regulated breathing, he calms it down. Adrenaline wants to surge, yet he keeps it in check. Yes, it is exciting stuff, but to be hyped up now wouldn't work with stealth. Images of a jaguar sneaking up on its prey flash through his mind. It suits the scenario perfectly. He is the hunter, Eva the prey.

Excitement rushes through his body, making him stand up and pace again. It is the only thing that helps him to concentrate.

He looks at his watch again, "Come on, Woolsey, what's taking so long? Her ten minute head start is finished."

Surprise hits him when Woolsey's voice comes through his earpiece.

 _It's about time!_

"Colonel Sheppard, your hour starts now. Good luck!"  
"Thanks, Woolsey. Sheppard out."

He grabs the stunner from the table and holsters it as he runs for the door. Seconds later, he darts towards the Mess Hall, the starting point of his search. Today, in particular, the area is buzzing with people. It would be difficult to locate her via the tracker in here.

 _I'll have to leave it for the areas less populated. I'm definitely in the right section. This would be the first place I'd try to intertwine with the crowd - but not for long. People will eventually move away._

 _The question is, where would I hide? Where will Eva conceal herself?_

Sheppard quickly scans the crowd but can't locate her. It is just too dense. In his turnabout, a glimpse of the vent above his head, catches his eye. Sheppard's eyes light up. An idea suddenly comes to mind.

 _The vent! She's in the maintenance vent. It's a good place to move about the city without being seen. It's also the perfect place to disappear amongst a large group of people. Idiot! Why didn't I think of it sooner?_

John darts for a chair and pulls it underneath the opening of the vent. Gently, he removes the covering, takes out his torch and scans the vent.

There is no noise, no sign that she is nearby but it is worth a try. The size of the vent is large enough for him to move through without feeling too hemmed in.

Without hesitation, Sheppard boosts himself up into it and starts crawling forward. A few feet in, he turns right and progresses for thirty feet, stopping when he reaches a dead end. It is either right or left. He takes his torch and shines the light in both directions.

R _ight leads to the science labs and left, the Recreational Rooms._

A sound comes from his left.

 _It has to be her_. _Either that or I've taken the wrong option in pursuing her_.

He is acting on a hunch, which he now has to follow through - or back out of it completely...

 _Left it is then._

Silently, he moves forward, not wanting to alert whoever or whatever is in the vent with him.

Minutes later, another sound echoes down the ventilation system to him, but this time, it is closer than the previous one was. It sounds like a covering being removed. He quickens his pace, at least as quick as the confined space allows. Feet touching the floor is the next sound he hears. This spurs him on even more.

 _Come on, Sheppard, you can do it! She's within your grasp._

He maneuvers himself to drop out feet first. Softly landing on the balls of his feet, he crouches down and scans the corridor. There is no sign of her. Where could she be?

 _Where to now?_

It is surprisingly quiet near the Recreational Rooms. It is lunch, people are supposed to be taking a break, enjoying their off-time. Yet there is nothing and no one.

John stands in the centre of the corridor. It is a right or left situation again. He pulls the tracker from his pocket and stares down at it. On the screen, a map of his current position is displayed. Multiple dots, which represented people, appear along with it.

A group is in a room not too far from his position. Another group is off to his left but a single dot is just on the edge of the map, moving away from him. He tilts in its direction and starts to run, hoping to catch up with whoever it was.

A few minutes later, just as he rounds the corner, the dot disappears from the screen.

"No! I was so close."

An urge to hit something flashes through his mind but John ignores it. He keeps calm, trying to figure out why the signature disappeared and this helps him outweigh the frustration he feels. Now is _not_ the time to get upset.

Sheppard walks over to the place where the signature was last seen on the tracker. Nothing but a forked corridor lies in front of him.

"I'm starting to dislike these right or left options."

Hands on hips, Sheppard searches through his mind-map of the city.

"What's in this part of the city?"

He looks at his watch, "I have forty minutes to find her. I admit, she's starting to get on my nerves - and she's definitely not making it easy for me."

He jumps slightly, as a voice comes through his earpiece. It is McKay whispering, "Eva has taken a transporter. The corridor to your right will take you to it. Go to the western edge of the city."

Sheppard can't believe what just happened.

McKay has found a way to help him; how and why don't matter to him now, he will ask later. Catching Eva is his top priority. He obeys McKay's directions and steps out the transporter a few seconds later. He glances at the tracker but there is nothing.

"What am I supposed to do now? She could be anywhere in this section."  
"Go right." McKay's voice directs him softly.

John walks for a short while, then speeds up. He can feel more adrenaline surging through his body, making him dart down corridors. It feels like he has been running for an eternity when he reaches a dead end.

Sheppard does a 360-degree turn. The walls reveal marks of the flooding that took place a few years back when the storm wreaked havoc.

 _There's nowhere to go._

"What on earth is she doing here?"

His earpiece sounds distorted.

"I lost her awhile back. The sensors are inert in the flooded sections."

 _How did she get here? Maybe she just picked a random spot on the transporter's map. Either way, she's somewhere in this section._

"She must have known I was behind her and disappeared into the ventilation system or maybe a room." John looks at the tracker, but nothing is showing on the map.

"I swear she's like a shadow. Always there but one never knows what's going on in the darkness."

 _It will take forever to comb this section. I need at least five teams and a few hours to search but in this instance, I'm just one man - and I can't cover so much space in thirty minutes, even with a tracker._ _McKay can't help me either, the sensors are down in the flooded sections of the city._

"Still can't believe she gave me the slip. It's gonna be near impossible to reach her before time is up. I hate to say it but I won't be able to win this one."

Sheppard stares at the floor, a feeling of defeat spilling through his body. Never in his military career has he given up so fast - but he knows when he is beat, which she has done fair and square.

He shrugs at the confession and turns in the transporter's direction.

 _Still, I want to know how she did it, being a foreigner in such a big city. Can't be the years of travelling and evading enemies, can it?_

John steps out onto the transporter and presses the Mess Hall's location. The door opens, revealing the essence of Atlantis: an incredible sight to behold. Somehow, he can never get over the reality of how everyone mixes so well together, like a well-oiled machine.

Softly, noise fills his ears, as McKay hails him again with, "I've located a signal signature, possibly Eva's, coming from the east and heading for the core of the city. If you hurry, you'll be able to catch her before she joins the majority of the population. My suggestion would be to intersect at the Recreational Rooms. E.T.A. +/- five minutes."

Hope lights up in his eyes, as adrenaline surges through every bone in his body. He can't believe his luck.

 _Note to Self_ : _need to reward McKay on a job well done._

"You better watch out, Eva, I'm coming for you."

* * *

Ten minutes ago: Eva is making her way across the pier towards the door that will lead her back into the city, back amongst the populace.

Sea air envelopes her, rejuvenating every inch of her body. Nothing like a sprint outdoors to purge one's body and soul of months of hiding, searching, interrogating, and fighting enemies. It awakens a new kind of determination within Eva.

Her lips curl into a wry smile, as she approaches the door. Victory has never tasted this good.

 _I've outsmarted a United States Air Force Colonel in a city that he's supposed to know like the back of his hand. This has been too easy. Way too easy._

The door opens at her approach and closes immediately after she enters into the city. Eva estimates that, at most, she'll need seven minutes to re-join the residents. She turns right and starts to jog. The area seems familiar but only when she rounds the corner does she notice where she is.

 _The Recreational Rooms!_

Suddenly, an arm flashes before Eva's eyes, triggering her reflexes. The momentum allows her to slide underneath it, positioning her right leg in such way that it helps her back up.

She glances over her shoulder and sees Sheppard entering the passage. She then sprints down the corridor, putting just enough distance between them.

 _Did not see that coming! How did he get here?_

She takes a left turn and darts down the corridor for a few feet, then heads left again. Sheppard isn't far behind.

 _He's got a tracker for sure. He wouldn't have been behind me if he didn't. I have ten minutes to outsmart him. How will I do it if he can track me?_

"Think, Eva, think."

A stunner blast hits just above her head, making her jolt, fortunately there is another corridor that she quickly turns into.

The chase is on…

 _Where's a getaway car or a distraction when you need them? But this is no ordinary pursuit, is it? It's a game!_

A grin appears on her face. "Bring it on!"

Eva picks up her pace and rounds another corner, this time heading right.

Distant noises echo through the corridor towards her.

 _People! Ah, thank goodness!_

Another stunner blast hits the wall close to her and then, hits the ground.

 _Okay, got to move. The crowd is the only way out._

The pursuit has taken them to the base of the Control Tower where most of the residents are situated. Eva can see a large crowd gathered around some sort of contraption. This is her one chance to run through them, then head to the science labs. There have to be more people there, that or the Infirmary would be ideal.

A blast misses her head by inches. This makes her duck left towards the engineers surrounding the contraption. A doorway is visible and she knows that it will take her to the Infirmary.

From behind, she can hear Sheppard shouting at the people to get down. This is it! One hit and she will be out cold. She dives through the doorway, as he pulls the trigger, doing a shoulder roll. The blast hits a spot close by to her. She gets up and runs again.

"Sorry, got to go!" Sheppard hears her shout, as she disappears down the passage.

"Not if I can help it!" John propels himself forward through the crowd, tracker in one hand and the stunner in another.

 _This time, you're not getting away._

 _Which option will work better? Five minutes' worth of evasion or five minutes' worth of hiding?_

"The latter I would say."

Eva speeds down the hallway, slowing down as she rounds the last corner, with the Infirmary to her right. To her surprise, there aren't a lot of people, nor medical staff on duty here - but it will have to do. Upon entering, she is met by confused gazes.

"Carry on with what you're doing. Don't mind me."

Eva calmly scans the hall, determining what to do. She has about ten seconds to come up with a suitable hiding spot but also one which will give her a good vantage point from which to surprise Sheppard.

"By now, he will have noticed I've stopped."  
"Excuse me, were you talking to me?" A few inches away from her, a puzzled nurse stares at her.

Eva shakes her head and gestures at her to continue on as normal.

Three bulkheads within the infirmary catch her attention. Two are entrances but the one in the middle provides enough space for her to hide away _and_ have a good vantage point, no matter which entrance Sheppard decides to emerge from.

Eva runs for the centre bulkhead. Where wall and doorway connect, there is an allocated space of six inches. She takes the right corner on the eastern wing's side. Squatting down, her back pressed tightly against the corner and with her stunner in hand, she waits.

 _This is it!_

Just under two minutes remain.

Sheppard stands in the Infirmary's West Wing. No one looks at him. He progresses slowly forwards for about two inches, then stops.

 _Where has she gone?_

He scans the area... nothing. The staff carry on as if all is well in the world.

John moves a step forward.

 _All is too 'well' here! She still might be here!_

Attentively, John raises the stunner, arms relaxed mid-centre. Silently moving forward, he reaches the middle door frame, stops for a second, then walks on again. Eyes scanning every possible inch of the room.

Eva holds her breath as she sees a stunner move overhead. Shortly afterwards, Sheppard's hands, arms and finally, his body are in full view. He is totally unaware of what is about to go down.

Eva waits until he is a few inches away, then takes action. Carefully standing up, she manages to kick his knees, which buckle, from behind.

Before there is time to react, pain rushes through Sheppard's legs forcing him into a kneeling position. A boot hits him between the shoulders propelling him down onto his stomach, his cheek hitting the floor hard. Next minute, a knee is resting on his back.

"The game is over." Eva says to no one in particular, a wry smile evident on her face once more.

"Congratulations." A sigh of defeat echoes throughout the room.

Eva stretches up to her full height, allowing the Colonel to roll over onto his back. Although a smile is on his lips, the defeat is noticeable.

Steadily, Eva pulls him upright.

Suddenly he pulls her closer, placing mouth near to her ear and whispers, "You may have won this round but let's see how you fair in real life."

A quick look passes between them as Sheppard releases her hand. An impressed expression lights up his face, one that is returned by Eva's.

 _Step One: Complete._

 _Step Two: Manipulate the Shifter._


	15. Chapter 15

**Atlantis: Eastern Pier**

On the horizon, the sun was setting over the ocean, ending off another eventful day, a mixture of reds and oranges being displayed across the sky. Eva strolls down the final stretch of the pier, eyes fixed on the sunset. It was rare to simply enjoy something so spectacular when racing through the galaxy.

This week had truly been a military display of Earth's finest officers and she was glad that she could share the title with Colonel Sheppard and, also, with a few other S.G.C. members who would have laid down their lives to defend their precious home planet.

It was a close thing, but the objective had been achieved. Sheppard fell hook, line and sinker for their little plan and when the time came, they would have his full support.

The next step was to trap the Shifter without making anyone suspicious. The game should have driven the final nail into the trap, or so-called coffin. The frustrating part was having to wait and see when McKay's doppelgänger would make his move so they could prevent him from following through with it. Otherwise, a bounty would be on _her_ head, something the I.O.A. and S.G.C. wanted to avoid...

Several feet from the edge of the pier, Eva stops and breaths in the fresh, ocean air. A smile curls her lips. "I could get use to this."

In her one hand is a baseball bat and in the other, a container full of baseballs. An urge to hit something had crossed her mind a while back and fortunately, the recreational rooms had _just_ what she needed to relieve herself of the frustration that had built-up during the course of the day. That - and it helped her to think. Yes, they know that there is a Shifter, but how to capture him remained unknown.

Eva places her right hand in the middle of the bat's grip and lightly taps it on the ground. With her left hand, she takes a ball from the container as she gazes over the horizon, making a mental marker. An hour of light still remains; plenty of time to empty the container.

She throws the ball into the air and places her left hand an inch or so underneath her right hand, pulling back, bat just behind her head. Just before the ball reaches eye level, she places her left foot forward and hits it dead centre. It's propelled a good few feet before it drops into the water.

"Not bad for someone who hasn't played in a while."

Eva continues for ten minutes as footsteps approach from behind. She ignores the person and focuses on hitting the next balls even further than the previous one. This time it lands just five foot past the marker. A grin curls her lips.

A soft noise comes through her earpiece, as Wilson's voice said, "Heads-up... that's McKay's doppelganger behind you."  
"Should have hit _that_ marker a few minutes back."

"Sorry... we didn't know who it was until he approached you."  
"I'm _so_ going to beat my previous record."  
"Understood, we'll record your conversation. Please, handle this with care. Use duress word: shadow. Good luck."

Eva tilts her body towards the ocean and stares off into the distance.

 _What is he doing here? What could he possibly want from me? As far as he knows, I don't realise who he is._

She returns to her side-stance position and grabs another ball, still ignoring the visitor behind her. She then throws it into the air and hits it, the ball landing on the same spot as the last.

 _The real McKay wouldn't be standing here behind me, staring at the back of my head. How did he know where I was to begin with? No one knows I'm here, except the Daedalus._

She grabs another ball and follows the same procedure, but is a little bit uncomfortable this time round. Her visitor remains quiet and distant.

 _I have to draw his objective out of him without drawing too much attention to who I am and what I know._

She sighs inwardly. It is time to face the music and see what will come of this little meeting. Focusing on the relaxing task of swinging and advancing her marker, Eva breaks the silence.

"Are you here to look at what a traveller can do with a stick and ball - or are you here to talk? Whatever it is about, seeing as I'm new, I don't think I can help you - and I have no idea what to say to a stranger of your calibre."

 _Nicely put, Eva, nicely put... Now the ball is in your court Shifter._

"Just here to congratulate you on today's win… Very impressive."  
"I'm sorry, didn't you do so when it was over? With the rest of the team?"  
"Forgive me," McKay nervously laughs out, "I think I may have."

She turns in McKay's direction, shuddering, as he takes a step forwards.

"Why are you here?" She pauses, then points at him, "The real reason for your intrusion, please." She grips the bat tighter in her hand.

 _Bat's not going to help you, Eva. You need metal as in a knife or sword..._

Her free hand slowly moves over to the knife's position, where it lies hidden beneath her waistcoat. As McKay turns his gaze to the ocean, she gradually drops her hand.

His lips move into a devious smile, sending a shiver down her spine, "It's funny, actually... I wanted to ask how you knew that I was a scientist, having never met me or ever having had a conversation with which to make a proper assessment."  
He looks at Eva, who has a stunned expression. "I know it's weird, but... it's been bothering me."

Anger surges inside him, but Dallan suppresses it the best he can. This woman first has to confess who she really is - or Eva is really just an innocent traveller.

 _What?_

"Um…" She scratches her dazed head, then looks at him. "It was just a harmless observation... To impress your superiors, I suppose."  
He tilts his head, recalling a memory. "Science doesn't always save the day."  
"Excuse me?"

 _What are you getting at, Shifter? Are you worried one observation may have done more harm than good? Are you afraid that I know your little secret?_

"Those were your words that day: 'Science doesn't always save the day'. What did you mean by it?"  
"As I said before, it was just to impress your superiors."

"You see, I don't get it… why impress them at all? Your information ought to have been enough, otherwise you would've been shot… at the Alpha site." His stance is firm, confident, hands in his pants' pockets. His presence makes her feel small, like a bug about to be squashed underneath his boot.

"I see… You're probably right. To answer your previous question... my dad trained me to 'read' people, to observe and understand how to connect with each one, according to their skill set. It allowed me to adapt to any situation, especially because we moved around so much."

 _Great, Eva! Why don't you just reveal your true identity?_ She sighs. _It's been an exhausting day, exposing myself, just to catch a ruthless enemy._

In the distance, the Shifter's voice breaks through her thoughts, "Excuse me?", a confused expression evident.

"Are you gonna stick to that story? Taught to 'read' people?" He shrugs and continues with, "Sorry, but I just don't buy it. You probably heard stories about our team, what we do, how we look and so forth... made a few quick assumptions, stepped through the Gate and voilà… you _look_ like a profiler."

 _Now that, my dear Eva, is the Shifter talking, not McKay. It has the right to because it doesn't know I've read up on McKay. How do I work it to my advantage?_

She gives him a stern look and says, "Dr McKay, I don't know what you are implying - but all I know is you have spoilt what seemed to be an incredible day."

She points at the sun setting over the ocean and adds, "And this beautiful display." She exhales and continues, annoyed, "Come on, do you really want to bicker about something I said? You're a scientist, since when does something so small bother you? Don't you have bigger fish to fry?"

She bends down and grabs another ball. When she comes up, the Shifter grabs her upper right arm, gripping tightly. Eva remains calm, yet the urge to antagonise surges through her body, making her smile deviously.

"You may have the rest fooled with your so-called 'fitting-in procedure', but you don't fool me. You're a threat to our team - and to this base."

 _Sorry, pal, but the real threat is you._

Her eyes connect firmly with his. "Was that a pathetic attempt at threatening me, Doctor? I must say… you're not very good at it." Eva manages to free her arm from his grip.

 _Way too close for comfort. Need to get some distance between us._

She turns in the city's direction, slowly moving away from the edge of the pier.

"I didn't realize scientists could have such a strong grip, nor did I know they could threaten people so." She stops and glares at the Shifter whose eyes are icy cold. "I merely view them as being weak, yet overconfident in their work ability. Being able to accomplish near-impossible things in just a few minutes but not made to be out in the field with those who fight their enemies and defend their friends. They're made to hide in a room and create something impressive to parade in front of their colleagues. They're not made to be the master, threatening people to ensure others' safety. No, they're cowards, using accomplishments to seem important. All of which in turn makes them... fools." A grin curls her lips. She is working on his nerves, wanting him to unleash the Shifter masked behind the Doctor.

 _Betcha the scientist within him is screaming in defence of its dignity. However, the Shifter is containing his pride very well, clearly the mark of a leader. Wait a minute… leadership skills? The only lead Rodney takes is for his own benefit, at the top to be noticed. We're dealing with a Shifter leader here, one that would do anything for its cause._

Meanwhile, McKay, aka Dallan, starts to walk in her direction. Containing every part of his personality's need to strike back verbally.

Slight realisation flashes in Eva's eyes, making him stop… He might have misread it though. Whatever it was, she clearly hides it well, allowing another buzzer to go off in his head.

 _If she could identify me as a scientist with one glance, she can probably identify I am not McKay. That means… It may have been a mistake to come out here and confront her - but I had to do it. She's a threat and threats are to be captured and replaced, especially one who has the ability to elude with a warrior's skilfulness. A definite must for conquering a galaxy, maybe even two - if I wanted earth, even after what happened at the S.G.C last year._

"What are you smiling about? I've just insulted you and you're laughing? What must I do to make you back-off? Seriously!" Eva holds her arms out midway, with shoulders slightly raised, outwardly portraying her questions.

Basically, she's had enough, having dealt with him already in the cave and with his soldiers back on earth. Eva winces as the events of that day spill through her mind. His current demeanour is heading in the same direction.

 _I don't want to fight him. I barely made it out the last time I encountered these Shifters._

Sounds of the ocean surround them as both look at each other with neutral expressions. Within, Eva is desperate to get away from McKay's doppelgänger, but her mind tells her to do otherwise.

 _Keep at it and he'll reveal who he truly is to you. Isn't it why you've waited two years? Come on! Just one more bickering…_

Every second they remain silent, the tension between them rises. Their eyes seem to be doing the talking and along with them, their minds try to anticipate the other's words and actions. Yet, it still doesn't motivate either of them enough to step forwards and break the silence.

The Shifter smiles deviously, making Eva's muscles tremble slightly. Something is about to happen - but she is not one to make the first move.

"You can back-off by leaving this city and its inhabitants. You don't stay long in one place. So then… you're not worth trusting. What this city needs is someone who is steadfast. Everyone here has the same goal in mind, whereas you have none. On this basis alone, it's best to leave before you yield more harm than good."

Eva is stunned, something that is obvious on her face.

 _Man that was cold, even for McKay. He talks as if he is the one who needs to be in control of the city and not the current leader (no question about it, after what happened at the S.G.C. last year - but why would he want Atlantis, if he could go for the galaxy?)... Of course, if he conquers this city, he conquers the Ancients._

"Oh, so what you're saying is, this city needs someone like you? Last time I checked, Mr Woolsey was that someone, not _you_. And plus, both he and Sheppard have given me their approval." She pauses."I wonder what they would say about this little conquering scheme of yours."

She stops when a nerve has been hit. His face reveals anger, a kind she has not encountered before, even though she has experienced a little of it in the cave. For once in her life, she is scared. Scared of what this thing is really capable of.

Backing away slowly, Eva slides her hand underneath her waistcoat and pulls the knife from its sheath. She gently tucks it away in the back of her hand. Gradually dropping it to her side, thus allowing her thigh to conceal the knife. She looks down to recall a memory…

 _What's the duress word? Come on think… oh, yes, shadow. But, I need to get more out of him before I call in the cavalry._

Eva returns her attention to the angry Shifter, who is far enough for her to run away from, yet close enough to throw a knife at.

She inhales and exhales for a few seconds, bracing herself for what is to come in the next few minutes. Mere seconds are all he needs to end her life. Mere seconds are all she needs to throw and run. Mere seconds are all the Daedalus require to beam her away _and_ deal with the Shifter at the same time. Fortunately, for her, Major Wilson is listening and anticipating what will happen in these next few short minutes.

"I wonder if they know you're an imposter, that you're not the person they think you are. That you've been living amongst them, devising a plan to overthrow them? Because you were created by the Ancients in this very city, thousands of years ago. Abandoned by your creators because of the flaw in your design - and now, you are seeking redemption from what they did to you and those of your kind. You are a _SHIFTER_!"

The words spill from her mouth in a few breathless seconds, making her gasp for air. The Shifter stands there speechless... not quite the reaction she was expecting.

 _How does she know I'm a Shifter? I've been fooling these people for years, and along comes this traveller and exposes me. How did she know? So you ARE the one that caused my plan on Earth to fail. You will not take down this plan._

"How do you know so much about me? No one in this galaxy knows we exist and here you walk onto Atlantis and identify me in one glance. It's impossible!" In his rage, he moves towards her, "It's impossible!" He wants to kill her, to silence her before word gets out.

A massive adrenaline surge jolts Eva. "You wanna know why? Because I'M A SHADOW!" She screams the words out at the top of her lungs. The Shifter has finally come out of its hiding place.

As the word 'Shadow' comes out of her mouth, the Shifter is on a steady war path towards her. She quickly pulls back her right arm and throws the knife at him, embedding into his left shoulder. The momentum forces him backwards onto his back. Suddenly, a light envelops Eva as she's beamed away to the Daedalus, she leaves to the sound of a gut-clenching groan escaping the Shifter's mouth.

Dallan screams at the top of his lungs as a sharp pain darts through his body. Everything around him starts to turn red as anger and frustration accompany the pain.

 _How could I've been so stupid? She IS the one who kidnapped and interrogated me in the cave. I promised to annihilate her - and I will!_

He gazes at the knife protruding from his left shoulder. It has hit underneath his clavicle. With his other hand, he grabs the knife, biting his bottom lip. Super human, yes, but sharp metal objects are his kryptonite. He yanks it out, as his groan echoes over the pier. He tosses it to the side and tries to get up using his good arm for balance.

Once on his knees, a bright light appears a foot from his position.

 _Great!_

Dallan looks down at the ground, then slowly lifts his eyes to see who the Daedalus has sent to deal with him. The barrel of a gun meets his eyes. Holding it was the same person who threw the knife at him.

"Come back to collect your knife, Eva? Or are you here to finish what we had started on Earth?"

A frown appears on her brow, triggering a smile from him. "Didn't think I would figure it out? Good one, I must admit. Had a lot of people fooled."

Silence fills the air for a minute. "So did you come to kill me, if so, I might point out it's impossible to do that - at least with a gun? Or did you just come to gloat?"

Dallan is still on his knees but he stretched out his back until he's upright. A wry smile curls his lips as he waits for her reply. He frowns when she remains quiet.

Without warning, her gun goes off, propelling a tranquillizer dart into his sternum. Two seconds later and another two darts hit him in both shoulders. A numbness starts to spread throughout his body, forcing him down onto his stomach.

 _I can't move my muscles. I'm in trouble… serious trouble._

The woman in front of him starts to fade away as his eyes close. Darkness covers his mind. He tries to resist the urge to surrender to the effects but the sedative is too strong. They have clearly done their homework, knowing that this is the only way to tame him. There is a short silence before darkness finally settles in completely.

"Mission successful: The Shifter has been sedated and is ready for transport. Shadow out."


	16. Chapter 16

**_Elena: Shifter Planet_**

"Listen, I have no idea why Dallan isn't contacting us."  
"I need a better answer than that McKay. Remember, your life is at stake."

McKay stops dead in his tracks, staring after Damian. Then runs to catch up with him.

Falling into stride with him, he says: "And here I thought we were getting along just fine."  
"Don't kid yourself. I'm a mercenary, I know how to keep my friends close and my enemies closer."

"Funny, considering that you don't have any friends."  
"Exactly! Now get a move on, we're almost home."  
"If I remember correctly, my home is through the Star Gate, which is in the opposite direction to us."  
"Can't help you with that, McKay. Dallan hasn't contacted us, maybe because we've messed up, which I might add, is entirely _your_ fault."

"Oh yes, blame me. Blame the astrophysicist you kidnapped and transformed into a spy. Blame a guy for not wanting to be here. As I recall, I wasn't alone on the mission. Yes, there was this ruddy, tall gentleman next to me, biting my head off about the Wraith's infestation. So, not at all my fault."

"Keep at it and it just might be."

There is a short silence between the two men.

"What?" Rodney has a puzzled expression.

Damian suddenly stops and peers back at McKay. "Look, it's not that I enjoy our bantering, believe me, it's better than having a decent conversation with you but right now, it's time to focus on why Dallan hasn't contacted us. That's serious, real serious. It either means he has been compromised or we're really in danger of being killed… by him."

"First one would be just great for me." Damian's expression turns stern. Rodney swallows hard and nervously rephrases his reply as, "Um, that won't be cool at all."  
"Nice come back, McKay, real nice… the moment we step into headquarters, you know what to do."  
"We just came from Romas. What do you expect me to do with no information? We just have to wait another few days before we go back."

Damian walks up to the Doctor and glares at him. McKay's heart skips a beat and his breathing grows irregular.

"There is nothing we can do from our side. That is the truth. You have to accept it." He takes a step backwards, retreating the tense atmosphere surrounding the Shifter.

 _Maybe it's not wise to be funny. Might just bring my execution day closer. Don't have a death sentence, just a life sentence that I want to fulfil._

Anger flares up within Damian. Yes, it's a problem that they can't retrieve the last bit of information... Whoever it is that got to the lab, not only knew about the fail-secure, but they know the Shifters exist.

 _That's it!_

"MCKAY!" The force of his name makes him dart towards the Shifter without thinking twice about what happens next.

"Do you wanna know why Dallan hasn't sent us anything?"  
"No, not really."

Damian pretends to ignore that reply, but an urge to hit Rodney flashes through his mind and reveals itself in his eyes, thus, scaring the astrophysicist. "Whoever was in the lab before us knows Shifters exist. There might be a possibility Dallan is figuring out who those people are... that explains the lack of contact."  
"Assuming he got our message." Rodney stares at the ground, then looks up at Damian. "There might be a slim chance to contacting him in order to eliminate our assumptions."

A smile curls his lips.

 _Why didn't I think of it earlier? Dallan communicated with us from my room on Atlantis._

"And how are we going to do that if we have no way of knowing whether he's been compromised or not?"  
"Remember the last time we video conferenced?"  
"Yes... your point being?"

McKay lets out a sigh.

 _Yet another person too slow to understand._

"I thought being a Shifter would have given you more brains…"

Anger flashes in the Shifter's eyes again and this time, he takes a step forward and hits McKay across the cheek.

Rodney tilts his head back to look up at Damian. There is a glint in his eyes as he holds back tears, his cheek red and burning. All is quiet for a few minutes, with neither man breaking eye contact.

Fists tightening, McKay, who is fighting back the urge to hit Damian, breaks the silence with, "I'll pretend that didn't happen."

The Shifter's lips curled into a wry smile, triggering the dislike Rodney has for him all over again.

"When Dallan revealed himself to me, he was in Atlantis. How did he do it without anyone knowing about it?" He pauses to think, then continues a few seconds later with: "He must have found a way to do it without arousing suspicion. Maybe via a device that diverted the signal from a planet where a team was scheduled to check-in at. Atlantis did the dialling, not the off-world team."

McKay is pacing now, as possibilities spill through his mind.

"How would he have known about the when and where? He must have planted a relay device either on the planet or in their equipment."

Rodney stops and looks at Damian, surprised by his guess. He points at him and says, "Could work," then places hands into his pockets.

"It did work, McKay. Otherwise, how did he communicate with us?" All he gets in response is an annoyed stare. "Oh, you mean we could try the same thing… but how? Are we really _that_ desperate?"

Rodney's outburst of laughter echoes around them, as they reach the outskirts of town. McKay covers his mouth to stop it.

Breathing gently so as to calm himself down, he answers the annoyed Shifter's question, "A few minutes back, you were jumping down my throat for a solution and now when I present you with one, you think it's desperate. Do I detect hesitation? Maybe even fear?"

Rodney is treading a thin line and he can see it in Damian's posture.

"Okay, that was uncalled for. But, it's one way of finding out what's going on. Very risky though. Too bad we don't have a Jumper. Could have gated to the nearest planet, flown to Atlantis undetected and radioed him, obviously via a secure line. Then leave, with Atlantis none the wiser. Pity... would have been a good plan."

Determination in Damian Lyon's eyes to follow through with the plan, come and go in the blink of an eye. Realisation soon replaces it.

"Not happening, McKay. Even if we had a spaceship…" He breathes in and exhales, hands on his hips, "Sorry, Doctor, but it's not going to happen." Then he walks in the direction of the headquarters, with McKay a foot or so behind him.

"Fine, have it your way then. There is no other option through which to contact Dallan. We have to wait for him."

Rodney walks off towards his room on the far side of town with Damian speechlessly staring after him.

 _That settles it then. Still, I wonder what's happened to Dallan? It could be that the same people who beat us to the last lab have also managed to get a hold of him. It must be Atlantis, I'm sure of it. If it is them, I can work it to my advantage. They'll have captured him and spoken to him._

 _At some point they'll get the information they need. Sheppard will most definitely mount a rescue with the Daedalus, beam me out of here and then who knows what can happen afterwards. No matter, I'll be free on my way to Atlantis and then on to Earth._

A devious smile creeps over his lips. Home is a memory he has been carefully recalling each day, a sort of reminder of his sanity. His prevailing disappointment over not having been rescued four years back, has spilled out from within him since his capture. A sudden sadness overwhelms him from head-to-toe as he enters his room.

"It wasn't their fault, McKay. How could they know you were gone if you were replaced by your doppelgänger?"

 _My anger should be directed at the Shifters, not my friends. I have to devise a plan to outlive my forced contract. To stay alive until Atlantis can figure out a plan to defeat the Shifters once and for all._

A shiver runs down his spine as a plan begins to form in his mind, "I have it!" McKay gazes out of the window to check if anyone has been drawn to hand by his exclamation but no one has stirred. He walks over to his bed and sits down, trying to contain the excitement bubbling within himself.

"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

 _In order to gain his trust, I'll need to convince Damian I've turned against my friends. Afterwards, I need to persuade him Dallan has been compromised. Then I must assure him that Atlantis will do anything to find Elena and rescue yours truly. The last one is going to be a tricky one. I need to have a rescue plan in place for Dallan. From that point onwards, things will be determined by the turn of events._ "It's going to work. I just need to be a friend _and_ a traitor to _both_ parties."

 _Easier said than done, Rodney McKay. Easier said than done._

He stands up and walks over to the window, gazing at the scenery outside. Everyone is going about their day as if nothing is wrong. Yet in the back of each one's mind, they know exactly what is about to happen: war. War with those who made them, with those who created and left them to their own devises.

Now an army is waiting for its commander to give the order. Confidence and tranquillity beams from each Shifter, despite the innocent lives they have invaded and left 'stranded'.

He shudders at the thought. So many lives sacrificed just so that an enemy can have their revenge and all this coming from a leader who seeks vengeance on a race long since deceased. The Ancients left so many things undone in this Galaxy, causing more harm than good... the Wraith, Replicators and the Shifters.

Now his friends have to suffer the consequences. Anger slowly makes its way to the surface, something he has been suppressing for several years, savouring it for the time when he sees the Shifters on the verge of defeat.

The key to that defeat lies in the information regarding the fail-secure. If he can manage to reverse it, it will be a powerful weapon in the hands of Atlantis - and the rest of this Galaxy.


	17. Chapter 17

**_The Daedalus_**

 _Heart beating slowly._

 _Muscles unresponsive._

 _Heavy eyes refusing to open._

 _Cold, so cold…_

 _World dark, so dark._

 _Mind numb, body numb, everything dead… Am I dead?_ _Wait, no, can't be. I can't be killed... can I?_

 _Why can't I hear my own breathing? Why is my body not co-operating? Come on! Move it!_

 _Voices in the distance? HELP! HELP me… Help…_

"The sedation seems to be working, General. It's a high dosage, enough to treat a whale. Nonetheless, I'm confident we'll be able to ease-up on the sedative slowly but surely. Up till the point where we know it's safe. He'll be able to respond without trying to kill us."

"If it wasn't for the tranquillizer idea, I don't think we would have caught him."  
"I can't believe we're dealing with such an enemy. How is it even possible to kill without using fire power? To stoop down to knives, swords, spears… to sedatives. It numbs the senses but it doesn't kill."  
"I know, it seems this future victory is in the hands of the scientists. The key, I believe, lies in the labs we've come across."

Agent Shadow strides into the medical isolation room and stands next to General Caldwell and asks, "You mean the fail-secure they want to deactivate?"  
"I think so. If they can reverse it, we may stand a chance."

Shadow looks down at the unconscious Shifter. She feels calm. No more hunting and no more running. She lets out a satisfied sigh that is picked up by the Doctor.

"I imagine this must be a relief to you."

"Yeah, but the battle is yet to begin. It's great to have a breather though. Seems like we've been running non-stop after an enemy that's always a few steps ahead of us. Now, for the first time, we have them on their backs," She gestures at McKay's doppelgänger, "So to speak. For once, we have the element of surprise on our side."

Caldwell: "And we don't know what to do with it, right?" His lips curl into a slight smile.

"Exactly!" She returns the smile, looking at both men, "Listen, how long will it take till we can get the needed information from him? His friends must be wondering why he hasn't contacted them yet..."  
"Good point, but they won't be able to move without him, Shadow."

"Yes, General, but McKay's time is running out, has maybe even run out already. It's no longer about the Shifters, it's about saving a key member of this Expedition."

Wilson stands in the doorway, observing them: "I agree. Up till now it was about seeking them out. In the process, curve balls were thrown our way, good and bad alike. A Shifter has been revealed in our midst and now we have to get the person he transformed into back, in one piece."

It goes quiet, as the group stare at the Shifter, sedated and tied to the bed. It has taken two years to get to this point. During the momentary silence, reality strikes Agent Shadow.

 _We forgot about Woolsey and Sheppard. They must be wondering where their scientist is._

She tilts her head in the General's direction and says, "We should inform Mr Woolsey about our current situation. Sheppard may be looking for McKay and we still need to come up with an excuse for his sudden disappearance."

An attentive expression spreads across her face as a voice speaks through the room's intercom, saying: "Bridge to Agent Shadow, Mr Woolsey would like a word with you."  
Caldwell: "Good timing, hey? Go and explain what's happened."

Shadow walks over to the doorway and stops next to Wilson, "Figure out a plan," she says, her eyes indicating the Shifter, before she looks back at him, "And quickly too. In the meanwhile, I'll see if I can work something out. Keep me informed."

Shadow turns to the General, salutes him and then walks down the corridor, tapping her radio.

"Bridge this is Shadow, inform Mr Woolsey that I'm on my way, then beam me down to his office. Shadow out."

* * *

A few minutes later Eva is seated across from Mr Woolsey, relaxing as she awaits his reaction to the news.

"You're saying that the Shifter has revealed himself to you? He didn't wait long."  
"Whatever it was that compelled him to, we're glad he acted. The sooner we can get their planet's name, the sooner we can strike."  
"Ah, I see." Woolsey stands up and paces about his office, Eva follows with her eyes. Somehow she knows what he is mulling over.

"Sir, he came to me because I became a threat to him."

Woolsey stops and sits on the edge of his desk, his hands gripping it tightly, "You did nothing to purposefully provoke him - or did you?" A suspicious expression highlights his face for a moment, then becomes neutral as she sighs.

"I may have said something to him when I first came through the Gate to request my audience with you. I was hoping to catch his attention, which apparently I did, but didn't realize it impacted him so heavily."

He shakes his head in wonder.

 _For someone who's such a brilliant spy, you certainly like to provoke your enemy._

He smiles at her and asks, "What did you say exactly?"

She clears her throat before answering, "'Science doesn't always save the day.' Then I joined you in the conference room. I don't recall speaking to him after that."

Astonishment furrows his brow, "That's all?" Eva nods. "It can't be. What I've surmised thus far is that he would do anything to make his plan work. No, something must have triggered this confrontation."

Woolsey tries to think of a possible reason why he came out his shell. A few minutes pass by before a theory begins to form.

There was a classified answer for Woolsey's question, the thing is….he doesn't need to know that she's already crawled underneath the Shifter's skin.

 _Let's give a possible scenario and make him run with it. He doesn't need to know the history of what happened last year. That's been revealed on the Pier._

Eva goes first, "I think his second-in-command managed to contact him, notifying him about their failure to raid the last lab."

"Would it really have triggered his reaction...?"

Eva shrugs, "It's the best possible conclusion we have to go on. His whole operation had depended upon his team successfully retrieving all of the information. Without the last bit, they are stuck."

"Makes sense, but why come to _you_? How could he possibly have known you were involved? According to what we wanted him to believe, you are Eva the traveller, with a warrior's skills and Major Wilson's operation was carried out without their knowledge. From the Shifter's perspective, there was nothing to connect you to the last raided lab."

He pauses to think, "What exactly did he say to you on the pier?"

"Hold that thought." She stands up tapping her earpiece, "Bridge this is, Eva, please stand by to beam Mr Woolsey and myself up."

As an 'affirmative' comes back to her through her earpiece, Woolsey stands up with a questioning look. "Tell Sheppard you have business to discuss with General Caldwell. And that you'll be back in an hour or so."

An understanding nod comes from his side. "Good, I'll give you five minutes to arrange it."

An hour later, in the Daedalus' conference room: Wilson, Caldwell, Eva and Woolsey are sitting in silence. After hearing some of the recording of what happened on the Pier, the question of, 'What next,' remains on everyone's lips.

Woolsey shifts in his chair, places his forearms on the table and locks his hands, "Great idea recording the conversation. Brings some things into perspective, but still… It doesn't explain how he connected the dots so quickly."

"We can't know the 'how' unless we talk to him. Only he can complete the picture for us."  
"Eva, do you really think he'll co-operate?"  
"He has to, Richard, he has no choice."

"Caldwell, we have him sedated and that could convince him we have him beat surely? He has been right under our noses for four years. That shows me that it's gonna take more than sedation to persuade him to betray his fellow Shifters."

He pauses, looks at his peers, the room remains quiet, then continues with, "There's a Shifter planet out there, following this carbon copy of McKay. Don't you think they would have a back-up plan?"

Wilson leans back in his chair, hands folded on his lap, "Might have one, but like with all back-up plans, there's a time-frame before it can be initiated. The longer we wait, the less time we'll have to take them by surprise. We need to inform Sheppard's team, then come up with a plan... something involving more than sedation. Maybe interrogation with some manipulation involved?"

Shrugs pass around the table, as his eyes lock with Eva's. She stares at each one, realisation evident: she's been nominated to come up with a plan.

 _Not this time, gentlemen._ _Let's see what Wilson has thought of_...

She gazes at Major Wilson, "What do you have in mind, Kyle?"

Surprise registers in his eyes.

 _Great, Shadow, thanks for the warning. Fortunately, I have a theory._

"Well, we already know what their weaknesses are... So let's use it against the Shifter. There is only so much anyone - or in his case, anything - can endure before giving in."

"So we find his pressure point and use it against him?"  
"Yes, and we get Sheppard's team to do the ground work. They must locate what this imposter used to communicate with, trace the signal back to the origin... Use it as leverage."

"We work it from both angles. If the interrogation doesn't go as planned, we already have a Plan-B in progress."

"Exactly!"

Excitement spills from the two officers, while the two older gentlemen nod their agreement.

Gazing at the Major, a grin of approval, which is replaced shortly thereafter by a nod, curls Eva's lips.

Caldwell clears his throat to draw attention onto the next subject, "We need to bring Sheppard's team up to speed _asap_. He'll be disappointed that we didn't involve them from the start. We better have a good story."  
"We'll just present him with the evidence at hand. You convinced Mr Woolsey like that."  
"All due respect, Major, he knew about the operation before Eva stepped through their Gate. Sheppard has no idea what has been happening behind his back."

"It's not like this whole operation has been fishy from the start, Gen…"  
"Leave it to me…"  
"Me too." Woolsey interjects..

Eva sighs softly but offers up a smile, "Yes, leave it to _us_ to convey the situation across. We'll still need the evidence though."  
"Remember when you _open_ this can of worms, you won't be 'off-the-hook' for some time."

"Don't worry, Steven, we have enough to reel him in."  
"Then, once we're finished, I can guarantee you, he'll be caught, hook, line and sinker."

Wilson sarcastically interrupts them with, "Okay, fish aside..."

Laughter fills the room, lightening the situation and mood between the men and the lone woman.

"Alright, lady and gentlemen, you have a go on Wilson's plan. Richard and Agent Shadow will go down and inform Sheppard's team, whilst Wilson, the good Doctor and I myself get to work on the Shifter. The rest of Atlantis must carry on as normal. No one is to know what we're up to... Understood?"

Nods and 'yes' come from all present at the meeting.

* * *

 _A week later_

-Atlantis Mess Hall-

Sheppard sits down at a table, nearest the ocean, where he is joined shortly afterwards by Ronin and Tyla. Together they gaze out at the waves crashing against the pier a mile or so away. After a moment's pause, Sheppard initiates the matter that has been occupying their minds for the past week.

"I can't believe we have another enemy on our hands. The worst part is that it was kept from us and all for the sake of not adding to our war with the Wraith."  
Ronin: "Yeah, another lame I.O.A. tactic."  
Tyla: "I'm not happy about how the I.O.A. handled this situation, yet a lot has been achieved without our knowing."

"See, doesn't that bother you? Their getting an American spy to do the leg work - and the fact that they involved Caldwell and Woolsey? They should have come clean from the beginning." Sheppard relaxes in his chair.

Tyla, her elbows resting on the table, gazes between the two men sitting across from her, "If they had, what good would we have been? Clearly they needed someone like Eva."

Ronin sits back, relaxed in his chair, a leg up on the table, "Like it helped... We still have no idea where their planet is, so we can't fight them."  
"Relax, Chewie, you'll get your chance."

"We've faced the Replicators and beaten them. These…" He appeals to Tyla for the word.  
"I believe they're called Shifters."  
"Yeah, _them_. I say we can beat them."

Sheppard shifts his attention to Ronin and says, "I like your enthusiasm, Ronin, but as we heard in the briefing, they won't be easy to take down." He locks his hands behind his head when he finishes speaking.

"We need what, swords, spears, knives? I think it ought to be a fair fight."  
"More like kryptonite, if you ask me."

A questioning look forms on Tyla's face, "Ours - or the Shifters?"

"Both, I suppose." He sits up, looking at the ocean, then back at his team mates, "Still can't wrap my head around Rodney being one of them."

"Well, he was quite convincing, John and from what we've been told, they are exact copies of those they shift into."

Ronin bends forward, causing his leg to drop in the process, as his elbows settle on his knees and he intertwines his fingers, "When do you think it happened? The so-called swap?"

"They said four years ago, but the exact mission is, well… unclear."  
"Why don't we join the little interrogation taking place on-board the Daedalus and find out for ourselves? Instead of waiting down here for an answer."

"I wish it were that simple, Ronin, but being brought up to speed doesn't mean we can drop in and beat the hell out of the Shifter."

"I agree with John, Ronin. We have no experience dealing with the Shifter, whereas Eva and her team do."  
"She faced two twice, in my opinion, that's hardly 'experience'. There's still getting to know who and what your enemy is capable of."

"Yeah, we get it Ronin, but we're not you. We weren't chased by the Wraith for years on end." He pauses to look Ronin in the eye, then drops his gaze to his hands, which are folded in his lap, "I'm not too happy about Rodney's life being in the stranger's hands but there's nothing we can do about it." He raises a forefinger and softly adds, "Yet."

The conversation is interrupted by Woolsey's voice as it filters through into their earpieces: "Sheppard, please report to my office."


	18. Chapter 18

"Do you think this is going to work?"

"We have no other choice. Once this plan is set into motion, there is no turning back."

"That's what I have a problem with, the whole 'no turning back' thing. Who's to say we'll even get that far? It's not the Wraith we're facing, it's an armada of Shifters. If we make one wrong move…"

"Trust me, it will work. We just have to follow it through, from beginning to end."  
"We're placing our best Agent in this escapade of yours."  
"I know, but she's a smart one. As long as the plan is carried out accordingly, nothing will go wrong."

"That's what they all say, but something always go wrong. If it does, I want no part in it. Especially when she's declared 'missing in action' or worse, dead."  
"Too late, Shadow's already agreed to this, so you have to face the consequences too. However, I'm confident she'll be able to pull off the op. without a hitch, what with the cloak and all."

"It's the crew I'm more worried about. We have no way of knowing whether these Shifters have ships or not. We have to be precise - and Shadow on time. If we miss this by even a minute, Atlantis will be at war with a race that won't go down easily. We can't tranquillize all of them, as much as I'd like to do that."

"For the last time, stop worrying. If I'm right, Sheppard and his team have relayed Dallan's message to his second-in-command, ordering him to 'take care' of McKay at sunset."

"That gives us approximately," he pauses to gaze at the clock on the desk, "Five hours to complete this plan of yours."

Woolsey stands up and adjusts his jacket, with Caldwell following his actions with his eyes. Finally, after a few seconds, their eyes meet.

A wry smile curls Woolsey's lips, "Then why don't we get started?"

Caldwell follows Woolsey to the door. "You've fully briefed Shadow?"  
"Yes, I have and she's agreed to be subtle as possible. She knows the importance of getting Dr McKay back."

"I have no doubt that she's the best to retrieve him from them. It's when getting him back that will trigger a new set of problems for everyone."  
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

* * *

-Atlantis Gate room-

Eva is standing a few feet away from the Gate as it comes to life, a blue shimmer reflecting back onto her face. As she is checking her gear for the last time, everything suddenly dawns on her.

If she hesitates on this mission, the past two years' worth of work could come tumbling down, not to mention losing the Daedalus and its crew. A shiver runs down her spine, followed shortly by goose bumps, as adrenaline slowly courses through her veins.

This is a risky move by Woolsey, but he has the confidence that, if this plan is followed to the tee, they'll not only have McKay, but they'll have a massive chance to defeat this enemy - not just for now, but for good.

'Yes' echoes throughout the Gate Room, as the final, concise instructions are repeated.

She'll gate to _M11629_ , her old rendezvous planet, then wait for the Daedalus to make contact with her. When this has been established, she'll have an hour to gather enough intel on Elena and, in the process, find McKay. Fortunately for them, they have a map of the Shifter's base, which will make the search easier.

The Daedalus will position itself out of the Shifter's sensor range, then jump into position to beam both Eva and McKay out when the hour is up. Hopefully, they'll get in and out without the Shifters realising what has happened.

Colonel Sheppard descends the stairs and comes to stand next to her. "I wish we could join you, but apparently you operate best on your own." He pauses to look at her, then tilts his head to the active Gate, "So I've heard."

A smirk crosses his lips before it is quickly replaced by a serious expression. "I really want to be there with you, but with what I've experienced so far… you're all we've got to bring Rodney back safely." He pats her on the back as she salutes him and with a smile evident, says: "Go, the Daedalus is waiting."

Eva approaches the Gate, then turns slightly to look at Woolsey up on the Control Room's balcony. He is smiling and nods a farewell.

 _Well, here goes._

She takes a step forward and seconds' later, steps out into the familiar planet's atmosphere. Mist is descending slowly, making visibility poor. A chilly wind sweeps across the small field in front of her. To the left and right, overhanging branches and leaves of the nearby trees whirl.

"Can't get more eerie than this."

With her body slightly shivering, she walks towards the Dial-Home-Device, whilst tapping her earpiece to radio the Daedalus.

"Daedalus, this is Agent Shadow, please respond." Noise fills her ear, triggering a painful memory of when she was last on the planet.

 _Never want to fight another Shifter again._

"Reading you loud and clear, Shadow."  
"I'm ready to proceed with the mission. Everything ready on your side?"  
"We are good to go. We'll enter hyperspace as soon as you step through."  
"Affirmative. I'll start the dialling sequence. See you in an hour's time."

She scans the surroundings again before engaging her cloak. Taking a deep breath and exhaling, Eva steps through onto Elena. Goose bumps appear on her arms, as the Gate shuts down behind her.

 _I thought the previous planet was eerie but this one really takes the cake._

The area is surrounded by dark tall trees, with the light struggling to break through dark treetops. The grass comes up to her knees, dotted with red-and-blue flowers. A slight breeze comes and goes, leaving behind the noise of rustling grass and swirling branches. As she gazes up through the trees, the appearance of the sky seems murky, its blueness fighting through the grey clouds.

A guard silently passes by, unaware of her presence, investigating the reason for the active gate a few seconds' back and finding nothing wrong, heads straight on, back along the well-trodden path.

 _That was way too close for comfort._

Eva follows the guard towards the edge of the treeline. To its left, the first signs of civilization come into few. She stops on a small rise and scans the town that lies half a mile out. As the guard disappears from view, she takes out her binoculars and the map, correlating the town's 'landmarks' with those on it.

A few minutes pass before Eva feels confident of the surroundings. Heading west down the rise, the ground evens out as she approaches a small farm.

Cattle stray to her right and some chickens peck freely on the ground to her left. All oblivious to the invisible human invading their territory.

Eva hurries along the farmer's path, heading straight for the largest building, north of her position.

Upon entering, she discovers that the town is abuzz with its monthly market day. Shifters and people freely wonder amongst stalls, bargaining for better prices and buying fruits, vegetables and other, offered goods. To Eva, it looks like a small town, like one you'd find in the country back home. The only distinction being the formless Shifters, mixed with people, who are obviously Shifters too.

Half-walking, half-running deeper into town, a shiver runs up and down her spine. She desperately wants to get out and away and even the cloak can offer her no comfort.

 _Forty-five minutes to go. Fortunately, I've reached my destination. Give it about fifteen to twenty minutes to gather the necessary information... that leaves me with twenty-five minutes to find McKay. That's cutting it real close, Eva, but you can do it._

* * *

MEANWHILE on the southern side of town:

"HEY! What about all the times I saved your behind?! Doesn't that count for something?" Heavy breathing fills the dank dark room in which McKay is being held.

Frantically, he searches the room for any light filtering in, but comes up empty. The walls are rough underneath his fingers and come close to cutting through skin. Minutes pass by before he finally sits down on the floor. Dampness seeps through his pants, making his body shiver. This is not what he had in mind but then, nothing that has happened these past four years is what he had in mind.

A sigh echoes throughout the room. Cast to one side to be executed, not at all how he imagined his life would end. Silence fills the room for a while.

Soon afterwards, the door opens to his right, the sharp light blinding him momentarily. Rodney stays seated, eyes closed as the Shifter approaches him.

"I'm sorry about this McKay but it's for your own good."

Before Rodney can respond, he's pushed down on his back, hands stretched out above his head.

A sharp pain flares up his arm, "Hey! What's going on?" The last words slur as sleep overcomes him.

 _What the…_

Outside, Damian stands in the doorway, casting a shadow upon McKay, "I want you to implant two transmitters. One obviously because they are going to scan for it and the other, well-hidden."

 _The first one transmits on a normal frequency, second one on a frequency that only we can detect._

"Yes, sir!"

He's about to leave before he adds, "Oh, and please make sure he doesn't know about it. I'd hate to have set this plan up for nothing. He needs to be just as surprised as his friends when they find it."

The soldier nods as Damian turns away, heading towards the central headquarters.

 _I just don't trust you, McKay… Better to have all sides covered. I' m only using you to get my leader back, then I'll watch the betrayal dawn on your face when we level your precious city._

A glint of satisfaction spreads across his face as he says, "Let the battle commence."

Upon entering the headquarters, a slight draft blows past him. Damian stops briefly, shuddering. Shrugging it off, he moves in the technicians' direction, first stopping at his own office.

WITH fifteen minutes remaining on the clock, Eva finally comes across the small building on the southern outskirts of town.

 _Great, no one's guarding the place._

Gradually, she examines the outside of the small building. It looks old and worn, like no one has bothered to look after it in some time. Ragged boards have been nailed on opposite walls, covering up what seem to be windows.

 _No windows, scratch that entrance... the door it is then._

She heads to the front of the building. Across the door, an iron rod is held in place by two vertical brackets on both sides of the door frame.

"Seems easy enough." She releases the rod from its 'captivity'. A soft thuds follows, as it settles on the ground.

 _Here it goes…. anticipation, anticipation. What will I find? Will it be a captured scientist?_

A smile curls her lips, as she opens the door before quickly closing it behind her, to avoid attracting attention. It is dark and dank inside and there's no movement inside of here either. She uncloaks and grabs a small flash-light from her vest pocket. "McKay?"

No answer.

"Dr Rodney McKay?"

Still no answer.

Meticulously, she switches on the light. A body lies in the middle of the room. Eva kneels besides him, checking his pulse. Slightly slow. "Definitely drugged. Wonder why?" She squeezes his shoulder, but there's no response.

"Come on, McKay, you're almost home."

This time she taps him lightly on the cheek, generating a groan in response. "Snap out of it, Rodney."

He mumbles something before turning his back on her, as he sleeps on.

 _Whatever they have you on, it seems it's gonna take a while to wake you up. Ah, well. You'll just get a massive surprise when you open your eyes and see the Daedalus' infirmary._

Eva gazes at her watch, "Better 'tag' you. The Daedalus will be here shortly."

A transmitter is placed on the inside of his jacket collar. She switches the flash light off, as she moves towards the door.

A small shudder passes over her body. A flashback from a few minutes' ago back plays over and over in her mind.

 _I wonder who that Shifter was who I passed near central headquarters. His expression sent a shiver down my spine. Not a lot of people can rattle me, but that Shifter did. His day is clearly going the way he planned it to. Wait a minute…_

"No, it can't be. Dallan's second-in-command?"

Eva shifts in McKay's direction.

 _It explains his satisfied expression and Rodney's drugged state. He still might be at headquarters..._

"Can check it out. Still have time."

 _Are you nuts? Seriously want to tempt the beast here?_

Ignoring the on-going internal debate, Eva engages the cloak and opens the door, heading in Damian's direction.

 _I need to know why McKay was drugged and left here when he's been marked for death._

She closes the door and places the rod back in its place, then she turns around and starts jogging back to central headquarters, hoping to find him close to where she last saw him. A minute later, a window opens on the south of the building then quietly closes again.

 _Great, I'm in. Now to find out what's really going on._

Adrenaline courses through her body, releasing new energy and new determination. It seems deserted.

 _They call it their headquarters. Where on earth are the Shifters?_

Further down a long corridor, voices sound from within a room, along with some kind of technological sounds.

She followed the sounds and shortly afterwards, finds a group of technicians, two soldiers and Dallan's second-in-command.

 _Bingo!_

"Status report!"A tall scrawny technician responds with: "The implants are in working order."

Damian nods, "Good. Have preparations been made for tonight's plan?" He turns towards the captain on the far side of the room.

"Yes, sir. My men and I will 'gate' through to one of Atlantis' allies and make sure Dr McKay's found by them."  
"Excellent. Once found, Dallan will sort out the rest."

"Sir, are you sure that his message meant that we're to return McKay to Atlantis?"  
"Yes, once McKay's execution occurs, signal's our leader capture and Rodney will be sent back."  
The Captain's brow furrows as he asks simply, "Why?"

"Atlantis somehow has the last piece to the puzzle as concerning the termination of our fail-secure. That leaves us with one other alternative."  
"Sending McKay back?"  
"Yes, Atlantis will most likely appoint McKay to finish the formula. He'll complete the mission for us without even realising it."

"Like he would have done if we had it here..."Damian pats him on the back, " _Exactly_ \- and we'll be monitoring it all the way. Too bad Rodney's plan backfired on him."

This intrigues Eva even more, causing her to mentally ask the same question as the soldier, "Sir?"

"Surveillance confirmed McKay had an agenda of his own, betraying his friends on Atlantis to save himself…"

Suddenly a bright, white light shines in the corridor, as Eva's beamed away, along with McKay in the small, dilapidated building.

"What was that?"Realisation dawns on Damian the second he steps out into the corridor. He spins around, "Captain Xavon, take your men and go check on McKay."

Within moments, a line of soldier-Shifters are crossing the field that lies between McKay's prison and their headquarters, with Damian following close behind.

The soldiers surround the building, as the Captain and Damian step towards the door and remove the rod from its position together.

There is a slight moment's hesitation before the door creaks open, revealing an empty room. This is followed by a groan and a shout echoing out, " _HE'S GONE_!"


	19. Chapter 19

**_Daedalus_**

"Get us out of here, Major."

With the technician's quick response, the Daedalus jumps into hyper-space.

"Let me know the second we reach Telcan."  
"Yes, sir."

With that, General Caldwell heads to the infirmary. Minutes later, he walks into a mini-war zone, with medical staff and scientists scrambling all over the place.

Puzzled, he asks, "What's going on?"  
Wilson: "Apparently McKay here has a sub-space transmitter…"  
"Two implanted transmitters…" Dr Lloyd interjects.  
"Sorry, two transmitters. We've found the first one, but the second is still unaccounted for. Hence, the need for the scientists."

Caldwell gazes about the busy infirmary, finding one person missing, "Where's Eva - why isn't she here filling me in?"

"You just missed her, General. She left shortly after informing us about the implants. Didn't say where she was going."  
"That's odd. Any indication of injuries, Doc.?" He gazes in Lloyd's direction, who is busy scanning McKay's back with a device.  
"No, Sir, but I could tell something was bothering her."

The buzzing of the infirmary becomes distant and slow-motioned, as Caldwell quietly thinks, hands on his hips, his brow furrowed.

Wilson stares at the scientists, who are checking frequencies, whilst the Doctor keeps on scanning.

After what feels like ages, but is in fact only several minutes, the General speaks again. Pointing his forefinger at Wilson, he says, "If you don't find this device in an hour's time, inform the Bridge to come out of hyper-space immediately. I don't want to risk Telcan being discovered as our secondary base... understand?"

"Yes, General."  
Caldwell spins around, about to exit the room when Wilson's voice stops with him: "Sir, what about Shadow? Shouldn't we…?"

"Don't worry, Major, I have an idea of where our Agent might be."

Wilson responds to this with a slight nod and turns his attention back to the commotion, while Caldwell heads for Shadow's private quarters.

 _What was McKay thinking, giving up on Atlantis? His arrogance overcame him and now, what can I do with this information? How dare he do this?_

A frustrated groan escapes from the room, as Shadow hits the boxing bag for the umpteenth time, feeling no better than she felt after being beamed up.

Driven by frustration and adrenaline, she punches the bag, making it swing further back than usual. Before she has time to go in for the next blow, Caldwell slips into the room and sits down on the nearest chair.

"Thought I find you here."

He gets a glare in return.

"Would you mind telling me what happened and why you are punishing this bag?"

She stops for a second, allowing it to swing back. When it comes forward, Shadow side-kicks it, making it swing sideways instead.

Satisfied, she removes the gloves and sits down next to the General, though she carefully avoids making eye contact.

 _So how am I gonna explain this?_

Breathing in and out, Shadow decides to go for telling him the partial truth, as she answers Caldwell's question.

"Everything worked out as planned... I got in, moved through town, got the information, found McKay sedated and tagged him. Had a few minutes left on the clock so I decided to check out Dallan's Second-in-Command. Turns out he was not going to execute our scientist after all, but was actually going to hand him over to us via one of our allies…"

Shocked, Caldwell interjects, "What? They were planning to hand him over? That was not his order."

"Apparently McKay's execution was an S.O.S. signal, informing the Shifters that their leader had been compromised and so, the only way to de-activate the fail-secure was to send the only other scientist who can figure it out there."

"The real Dr Rodney McKay. So they-"  
"Yes. They know Atlantis has the formula."  
"That explains a few things - but not why you're so upset."

Caldwell looks at her and sees the tension in her jaw.

She swallows hard, thinking of a good enough explanation for her anger, "I may have been compromised, General." She pauses when his posture changes before continuing with, "You see, before you beamed me up off the planet, I was standing outside the tech. room, in the main building. If they're smart enough, they'll figure out there was a spy amongst them."

A questioning expression appears on Caldwell's face, though it ends off with a smile that disarms Shadow. "That's why you're beating up the boxing bag because you were in a compromising situation? If you hadn't been there, we wouldn't have received this key bit of Intel. When McKay wakes up, I can guarantee you that he won't know anything about what you just told me. His last thoughts were of his up-and-coming execution."

 _Just keeping thinking like that, General. You have no idea what Rodney did or may do when he wakes up..._

She gets up, moves over to the bag and stops it from swinging as she says, "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. If you don't mind, General, I would like to continue here until we reach Telcan."

Caldwell also gets up. "Okay. We may be dropping out of hyper-space sooner than expected though. It depends on if and when the scientists can locate and remove the second transmitter."

Shadow punches the bag, pauses, then steps aside, allowing it to swing past her.

 _Should I tell him - or not? He's half-way out the door._

With her eyes firmly focused on the ground, Shadow clears her throat, making Caldwell stop and says, "General, tell our people to search for a signal coming from the Shifter planet. The second device is not of a frequency we've been acquainted with. The best method of approach is to scan for frequencies coming from Elena. It's not made to transmit a location constantly, it's made to be controlled and monitored from their side. Like an on-off switch."

Caldwell pauses in the corridor, his right shoulder shifting in her direction as he glares, feeling unsure of why she withheld this information from the scientists. Ignoring the urge to point this out to her, he slightly nods, then moves in the Bridge's direction, relaying the message as he does so.

 _Something definitely happened on that planet. There is no way Shadow would walk away without reporting to me and then almost leave out such important information. No, she overheard something and it's upsetting her enough to make her not want to talk about it. The worst part is, I don't know if it will jeopardise the position we hope to hold in this war. Maybe when we reach Telcan, I can convince Samoa to draw it out of her. I don't want to use her husband against her but she's leaving me with no other choice. It's either that - or wait for her to come to me with whatever she is keeping shut about._

* * *

\- Daedalus' Bridge -

 _5 minutes before deadline_

"Major Wilson, what's your status? Do we have to drop out of hyperspace or not?"

Caldwell is pacing up and down, occasionally gazing at the beautiful hyper-space light display reflected by the Bridge. The silence is almost at the point of irritating the General when Wilson finally responds.

"We've got it, Sir! We've managed to pick up the frequency via our sub-space sensors. You were right, the device isn't giving off any signal but the one on the Shifter planet is."  
"That's good news. Is Dr McKay still unconscious?"

Wilson notes the lack of enthusiasm in the General's voice, but decides to dismiss it as worry over the mission's success more than anything else.

"I'm afraid so, Sir. Dr Lloyd had to administer a small sedative to remove the device. He'll be awake about an hour from now."

"Good, that gives us at least thirty minutes to reassure McKay that he is in capable hands."  
"Am I to assume we're keeping him in the dark until he's been cleared by Dr Lloyd and Mr Woolsey?"

"Yes, that's correct, Major. Tell Lloyd that I want to be there when McKay wakes up. I'm certain he'll appreciate a familiar face. Caldwell out." He nods to the nearest technician to end the transmission.

A click echoes in Wilson's ear followed by silence, "Yes, Sir," he sarcastically replies to no one in particular. Quickly adhering to the General's orders though, he walks over to the infirmary.

Dr Lloyd is sitting quietly at a small table reading what seems to be a medical report. Wilson clears his throat from behind the doctor.

Lloyd lifts his head and says, "He's still sleeping." He looks at his watch, then back at the report, "As I told you ten minutes ago."

"Thanks, Doc., I know that but General Caldwell wants to be here when McKay wakes up. So… you know what that means?"  
"Yes, the General is going to come down here and wait for twenty minutes."  
He turns to look up at the Major, "And he needs a little entertainment during that time, right?"

Wilson responds with a shake of his head, "Don't think so."  
"Bad mood?"  
"Definitely."

"No small talk?"  
"Nope."

"No jokes either?"  
"None whatsoever… just leave him be till we reach Telcan."  
"That bad, eh?"

Wilson nods.

"Okay, so I'll just be here and he'll be over there," The doctor says, pointing at McKay's bed.  
"Pretty much, yes."

Lloyd drops the report onto the table as Wilson takes a seat opposite him, "So I assume it has something to do with our Agent not directly reporting to Caldwell."

Wilson shrugs, then after a pause of a few moments, continues with, "Think so. She seemed distant, like something was on her mind."

Lloyd nods in agreement. "And the fact that she hasn't shown her face since, plus, the General's foul mood... it all points to a red alert."

Lloyd gazes at Rodney, sound asleep in his bed. "It must have something to do with him." He then looks at Wilson and says "And whatever happened on that planet."

"Yes, and… she's withholding information from us."  
"You mean she withheld information?"

Wilson shakes his head.

"Ah…" He pauses when it suddenly dawns on him. "Oh really?"

This time the Major nods.

Dr Lloyd continues, "That's bad, real bad. I think I'll just stick to my job... silently, that is."

"You and your merry band of medical staff."  
"I believe the saying is: 'merry band of misfits'."

A smile curls Wilson's lips, "Just being polite. The Daedalus' medical staff should be known for their ability to save lives, not their bizarreness."  
"Bizarreness? Going to other Galaxies, now _that's_ bizarre!"

Dr Lloyd bursts out laughing, followed by Major Wilson.

Lloyd stands up and says: "Speaking of which, I need to warn them of the coming storm."  
"Tell them to put on their raincoats, 'cause lab coats just won't do it."

At this, a wry smile forms on both men's lips.

* * *

 _My eyes feel so heavy. Why can't I open them? There's no reason for them to be this unresponsive. Unless… No, it can't be! Am I DEAD?_

 _HELLO, you idiot, a dead person can't feel how heavy his eyes are. So… I'm not dead then! Good, that's good._

 _Wait a minute! That must mean I'm sedated then and my body is struggling to wake up... but, if so, why would my mind be so alert and not the rest of me?_

 _Maybe it's because you're a genius and you do the impossible in a few minutes. Got to love science. Okay, so how am I going to get my body to work? Come on, move! Yes, yes, yes…_

"Dr Lloyd, he's waking up." A female nurse gently says, jolting Caldwell from his thoughts.

"Finally!" Lloyd and Caldwell exclaim in unison.

Three pairs of curious eyes stare at Rodney as his eyelids flutter open.

First their faces are hazy before his eyes, before a sudden bright light makes them close again.

 _Where am I? This is not the dark room I was left in... what's going on?_

Slowly but surely, allowing for adjustment, he fully opens his eyes. Confusion strikes McKay at first, then a sense of familiarity.

"Colonel Caldwell, is that you? How did I get here?"  
"Yes, McKay, it's me. We beamed you up off the planet."

A confused expression spreads across his face once more. Everything seems so surreal, not even Caldwell's presence can reassure him that all is well. In his mind, he is supposed to be dead. He closes his eyes again, as voices try to pierce through the haze. They seem faint until one particular voice breaks through.

"Rodney, this is real. You are safe in the Daedalus' infirmary. You have nothing to worry about. Trust me, McKay, you're really here."

He relaxes, allowing realisation to settle in. "What took you so long?" He lifts his head to scan the room. His friends are all missing from it... that is, if he can still call them his friends.

"Where's Sheppard? Where's my team?" Panic tries to surface, but he suppresses it as best he can.

Caldwell shifts to the end of the bed, gazing at Rodney and tells him, "They're not here."

"I don't understand. Who rescued me then?"

"That would be me, Dr McKay."

Those present in the room jerk their heads up at Shadow's quiet and unexpected entrance.

The General keeps his gaze set on the wall behind Rodney, as the rest look at Shadow as she makes her way over to them.

"Who are _you_?" McKay asks before looking at Caldwell and asking, "Who is she, Colonel?"

"I'm Agent Shadow." She says in reply as she points at Caldwell and adds, "He's the General now," and at Lloyd, "And that is Doctor Lloyd." She pauses briefly as she returns her gaze to McKay. "Your former team is back on Atlantis awaiting news on your rescue."

Caldwell finally addresses her curtly with, "What are you doing here?"

"Checking up on the person I was sent to rescue." She locks eyes with McKay and says, "By the way, please to meet you. Have heard so much about you, glad I can finally connect the achievements with the man... Such an honour." She holds out her hand out to him.

A shiver runs down Rodney's spine as he adjusts himself in his bed. A hesitancy overcomes him, warning him against taking her hand, but a sense of respect outweighs it.

He grabs it and says, "Please to meet you Shadow." Then, swallows hard as she tightens her grip. Something flashes in her eyes briefly before she lets go of his hand.

"Um… thank you for the rescue. Seems I owe you one for getting me out of that hole."

"Pleasure is all mine." Shadow looks at Caldwell, then back at McKay, an unnerving smile shaping her lips, "Fancy that, General, a famous astrophysicist owing me for something... I'll make sure to bring in that favour... someday."

As she turns to leave, she looks over her shoulder at the General, who keeps his gaze on Lloyd and tells him, "We'll be arriving shortly, Sir."

Almost out the room, she says, "Once again, a pleasure to meet you, Dr McKay. Hope we get a chance to converse more once you're up and about," before swiftly exiting and leaving the gentlemen with confused expressions.


	20. Chapter 20

**_Telcan_**

On board the Daedalus, Major Wilson, Eva, General Caldwell, along with Dr McKay, are gathered together on the Bridge.

Wilson adjusts his stance, noticing the sense of unease present between his companions.

 _Oh, don't go there... Just smile and keep your opinion to yourself and maybe you won't get dragged into whatever it is that's going on here. Yes, just keep silent and obey orders like the good soldier you are._

"Whenever you're ready, Major Lisa."

The blonde woman nods in the General's direction before punching in the beaming co-ordinates.

Eva moves over to where Major Wilson is checking his gear, leaving McKay with three soldiers adjacent him and Eva in front of him.

He nervously swallows when his eyes connect with hers.

 _Don't know what it is, but she's getting on my nerves. Can't wait to be out from underneath that gaze. Some weird mesmerizing going on there. Don't like it at all..._

"General, we're ready to beam you down. Samoa has been informed of your arrival and will meet you at the base."

Caldwell nods in her direction and says, "Thank you, Major. We'll stay in contact. You can beam us down."  
"Yes, Sir."

A bright light envelops the group, who are otherwise completely unaware of Eva's sudden movement towards McKay, her right leg raised up, a foot away from Rodney's torso, poised and ready to strike out.

Half a mile from the Gate, in a lavishly green field, the bright light dispels, releasing the group. A loud thud follows shortly thereafter, as a painful groan echoes around them. McKay is lying flat on his back in the long grass, gasping for air.

"Eva! What on earth are you doing?" Anger and confusion flashes across the General's face.

A shocked expression appears on Wilson's, a pained one on McKay's. Eva's face remains entirely devoid of expression, as she places the edge of the sword against the man's throat. His breath hitches, eyes wide.

"I'm not going to ask again, Shadow. What are you doing?" Caldwell says before, reacting to Wilson's stepping forward with his rifle pointed at Shadow, adding, "Stand down, Major. I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for this." He circles around to stand in front of the small group and asks, "That right, Agent?"

Silence fills the air as the shocked stares linger among the group, with the most intense looks flaring up between the man on the ground and the woman standing over him.

"This man here," She hisses down at McKay, "Is not who he claims to be."  
"Okay, fine, care to elaborate for us? And can you start by holstering your weapon, otherwise, I will have to ask the Major to use his."

Gently agreeing to the terms, she places the sword back into its sheath, as Rodney responds with a relieved sigh.

"Thank you. To keep the peace, I'll ask Wilson to cover us in case something happens."

He receives a nod in reply, both from Wilson and Shadow, allowing Caldwell to switch his posture from defensive to calm and relaxed.

"Good… Now, please tell me what's going on."

Anger flashes across her face, before disappearing again, as a blank expression replaces it. She regulates her breathing to hold back her irritation and frustration.

Across from her, Caldwell patiently waits. She can sense the Major behind her, rifle raised mid-air, halfway above the ground. His breathing is irregular and he's clearly confused.

Finally, she looks down at the man sprawled on the ground, his neutral expression complemented by a relaxed posture, showing that he's totally unfazed by this accusation.

"He's a spy! He's not the scientist he once was." Disbelief is visible in Caldwell's eyes as Shadow plunges on with, "Look at him! Just _look_ at him. He's not scared at all, that's sheer confidence flowing from a man who is flat on his back with a weapon trained on him... that is how I would react in the same situation! His mind is racing, searching for possible scenarios on how to get out of this mess."

"Come on, Agent Shadow! You really think that's going to convince the General? You can do better."

She points at McKay and says, "Keep quiet, _traitor_."  
"He's right Eva. You have to give me more than assumptions."

She drops her hand to her side and sighs. "Before we were beamed up off Elena, I overheard Dallan's Second speaking about McKay's plan to betray us."

Confusion spread across McKay's brow at this revelation.

 _How did Damian know what I was planning? I hadn't even initiated it yet, but he knows about it and now I have to explain my motive for wanting to set this plan into motion. What am I going to do? Tell the truth?_

"And he was to be sent back here and _not_ be executed as we were led to believe…"

 _WHAT!_

"Wait a minute, what do you mean by 'not executed'? I was on my way to being very dead before you guys showed up." He sits up to better look at the others.  
"You can stop with your deception, Rodney…"

"I'm NOT deceiving anyone!" Breathing heavily, McKay points up at Shadow, "What you heard... I haven't even set that into motion yet. It was a plan to save my own butt, since no rescue appeared to be forthcoming."

He keeps quiet for a few seconds, allowing the new info. to be processed before adding, "Damian must have bugged my room. That's how he found out about my plan to betray Atlantis. However, he missed the last part of said plan and that was… to betray _them_. It all makes sense, I think."

Caldwell interjects with, "You wanted to break free by going over to their side?" McKay nods his head, prompting Caldwell to ask, "How would that bring you to Atlantis so that you could switch sides and betray them though?"

Shadow's mind churns until the pieces finally come together.

"They trained you to become a spy so that you could raid the labs, extract data and, in the end, find the formula. Part of your plan was to leave bread crumbs, hoping Atlantis would eventually come across it, connect the dots and finally, set out to rescue you. But when the rescue didn't come soon enough, you formulated this plan, hoping to outwit death by going over to the Shifter's side, then somehow get to Atlantis when the Shifter's war was initiated... then you'd turn on them via their own fail-secure, thus giving Atlantis victory and you your freedom."

Excitement spills out of McKay, who is awestruck by her analyses.

He gets to his feet, exclaiming, "Brilliant, that's just brilliant! Wow, you figured something that took me four years to come up with in mere moments. Finally, someone who can keep up with me."

Shadow continues to quietly stare at the excited scientist-turned-spy…

 _Something doesn't make sense. Fantastic plan, genius even, but really, why would you have kept holding onto the hope that your team would accidentally come across these labs when Dallan would surely do everything in his power to keep that from happening?_

Her eyes follow McKay around as he basically jumps for joy at this revelation. Pacing back and forth, a massive smile curls his lips.

A shiver runs down her spine. She looks over at the General, who is speaking to Wilson, probably trying to jointly figure out what just happened.

Shadow takes a step towards Caldwell and clears her throat to get his attention. When he turns his gaze over to her, she gestures in Rodney's direction. He nods in agreement to whatever is about to happen.

"McKay." He jerks his head up, looking in her direction, "Solve this for me."  
McKay answers with a certain hesitancy, "Okay…"

"A lot was riding on either your team or an Atlantian team stumbling across these labs, whilst Dallan was already situated in Atlantis and was the one who gave Damian the co-ordinates. Wouldn't it have been wiser for him not to point them in the same direction? Why did you still try it then?"

It takes a moment for the others to arrive on the same page as her. "Of course the plan back fired because, unbeknownst to you, we appeared in the picture. By some kind of phenomenon, an I.O.A. spy heard about your friends the Shifters, alerted the S.G.C., who got the President involved, who then appointed Caldwell, myself and later on Wilson, to get to the bottom of all this… still with me?"

She receives a nod in response and an almost unnoticed nervous swallow.

 _What are you hiding?_

"Good. Now, having quickly summarised this, the questions that I'm left with are these: when it comes to astrophysics, you're one of the best earth has to offer so why not use it to internally sabotage them and send a signal to your team? Secretly, of course. Why suffer four years of captivity when the end result would be death either way? How on earth could you have anticipated a super-secret mission being launched by the President himself, meant to take down your captors _and_ track you simultaneously?"

Silence fills the air. Every now and then, clouds cover the sun as a slight breeze moves through the grass in which they are standing.

Caldwell and Wilson look confused, whilst Eva has a determined expression and McKay stands there in open astonishment. All those questions lead to something that he has been hiding from Day One...

 _How could she have figured it out so quickly? She can't be that good - or can she...? No way, four years of secrecy and she cracks it within a few minutes. She must know something._

Caldwell, who followed the whole conversation, lines up all her questions _: 'Wouldn't it have been wiser for Dallan not to point them in the same direction? Why did you still try it then?_ _Why not use astrophysics to internally sabotage them and send a signal to your team? Why suffer four years of captivity? How on earth could you have anticipated a super-secret mission being launched by the President himself, meant to take down your captors and track you simultaneously?'_

The pieces suddenly come together for him.

"Can you believe it?"

All of them turn their attentions to the laughing General. McKay scowls.

 _He's got it! Damn..._

"The I.O.A. didn't know who the real source was… You're the one who tipped us off?" He pauses as Rodney nods in agreement. "There was no way for your bread crumbs to work if you didn't already know help was coming for certain."

Surprise is now evident on Wilson's face, along with Eva's.

Rodney smiles at Caldwell's conclusion. To come clean is all he needs to do now so he says, "The General is correct. I did, in fact, tip off the S.G.C. This was, of course, after my capture. I actually did find a way to send a signal and lead you _straight_ to the first lab. Maybe I could have left, but I wanted to find out as much as possible about the Shifters and, in doing so, I found their weakness... not their physical weakness, but their internal weakness.

It's a base code, embedded within the fail-secure that will not only shut them down, but that will destroy them forever. I hit a small snag though because you got to the last lab before I could. Therefore, you took away my chance to complete it and basically sentenced me to death."

"And I thought running a secret Special Ops mission in another Galaxy was covert. This is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, contained within an enigma. It's so covert, it's overt. That's just…" Wilson stops as three pair of eyes turn to glare at him. He shrugs in response.

A massive thunderclap in the distance startles the group, as they turn in unison to gaze in the direction of the noise.

Caldwell: "I think we should head for the base before we're caught up in the storm."  
Eva: "Yes, I think we should. They can-"

Suddenly, a figure comes into view, moving towards them at a calm pace from the horizon.

When it gets into view, a smile lights Eva's face, something Wilson picks up on as he points out, "Hey look, everyone, Samoa approaches! Now I wonder why he's here... maybe it's because he doesn't want his wife to get wet. Ever the gentleman."

McKay notices a blush rising from Eva's neck, as a huge smile covers her face from ear-to-ear.

 _Real then, not a fake marriage. Definitely not part of her mission._

"Well, let's go meet this man of yours, Eva."

Surprised, she tilts her head in McKay's direction, a grin curling her lips, "Sorry for the…" she points at his chest.

With his eyes, he follows her finger and a smile crosses his lips, "Nothing I can't handle. Besides I've had worse but not quite as concealed and well-placed. Thumbs up to whoever trained you."  
"I can say the same. Who would have thought an astrophysicist could turn out to be a covert spy as well?"

"Not me." She gazes at him as he adds, "Hey, if you had met me before I was captured, you would have known it to be impossible, what with my being such an irritating arrogant man and all. Who knew captivity could have such a humbling effect? I guess I was fortunate. Others go insane and some give in to their captors and start to do their bidding."

"I know what you mean. It's what you believe in that pulls you through. You believed the S.G.C. would respond and yet, you still had to survive your doubts, to fight the uncertainty and hold out until someone came to rescue you."

Before McKay can respond, Samoa reaches the group and envelopes Eva in a hug, as he spins her through the air.

Putting her down, he moves over to Caldwell and shakes his hand, a gentle smile evident upon his face.

"Good to see you, General." He nods at Wilson, "Major," as he walks over to McKay offering his hand and looking at Eva, asks, "And you are?"

"He's Dr Rodney McKay."A relieved expression appears, "That means…"  
"Yes, we actually have a chance to win this battle."

McKay interjects, "Before it even has an opportunity to begin!"

A peaceful silence overcomes the group, as they walk through the tree-line towards the Daedalus' home base, with Eva and Samoa walking hand-in-hand. Hope is in sight, something they've secretly fought for but never thought to actually attain.

 _Finally we have a card in our deck that will end the war before it's even started. It feels good to know that everything we have sacrificed has paid off._

Shadow looks at the clouds above, it is getting darker by the minute. A realisation flashed through her, sending a shiver down her spine. Her brow furrows.

At that moment, Samoa looks at her and can immediately sense that something is bothering her. He gazes at the men walking in front of them and slows down to allow more distance between them.

"Is something wrong?"

She isn't surprised at his question, he could always sense when something bothered her. "I'm afraid this is the calm before the storm."  
"Why? We have Dr McKay, the means and method to destroy the Shifters and we have the element of surprise. They won't know what is going to hit them until it's too late."

"I agree... but we have forgotten one small detail… they know of their Leader's capture and, now that McKay's transmitter has been removed, we've officially declared war... Something we tried to prevent from happening."


	21. Chapter 21

_**Elena Headquarters: 02:45 a.m.**_

"I want you to send a signal to Commander Dallan. The back-up plan has been set into motion."

His second cautiously interjects with, "Damian Sir, if he has been captured, he won't be able to pick it up."

A scrawny technician, at the back of the room, says in answer to this, "Through his transmitter, we can send a type of S.O.S. signal whilst we send the message to him. It will be masked."

"Good, he's been waiting for this moment. Let's assure him that we've got his back. Go ahead."  
"Yes, Sir."

Damian exits the room and moves down the hallway towards his office where he sits down behind his desk, hands clasped against his forehead.

A few minutes later, his Captain knocks on the door.

Gradually, he drops his hands, then signals for him to approach, saying, "I believe you have a question, Captain Xavon."

A surprised gaze meets a neutral one, "Ah, yes, Sir. Two to be precise." He pauses for a moment, then continues with, "What is the back-up plan and how will Commander Dallan free himself?"

A sigh echoes around the room, sending a shiver down the Captain's spine. Damian's eyes find a spot on his desk before he answers with, "McKay's internal trackers have been found, leaving us with no other alternative but to start the war. Our plan was to be unbeatable, unstoppable first. However, with the last piece of code in Atlantis's possession, we need to attack in order to get it. As for our leader, he didn't go empty-handed. He took along a few test tubes…"

Confusion causes Xavon's brow to furrow. He asks, "He has the means to replicate us?"

The question is answered by a nod.

"So he is not the only one on Atlantis?"

Damian nods as he stands up, then joins the young Captain on the other side of the desk as he says in explanation: "Infiltration will start once he receives the message. Their aim is to disable Atlantis's defences, thus leaving them vulnerable and allowing our army to attack, both through the Gate and from above."

* * *

-Telcan 03:00 a.m. -

Black dust whirls around on the desolate planet. A once fertile land lies dead, ruins everywhere. The deeper in, the heavier the sorrow becomes.

 _How could something so peaceful have been destroyed in the blink of an eye?_

With every step she takes, her boots become more soiled with ash. Walking on the hopes and dreams of the fallen, knowing they will never be fulfilled. Memories torn and tattered. They never saw it coming, the hatred and anger of a ruthless enemy. Bombs, which brought fire with them, exploded throughout the planet, leaving them with no chance to flee to another planet, to safety.

A huge crater appears in front of her.

"Wonder what stood here before it was bombed?"

She goes down onto one knee then scans the wasteland. She then takes a soil sample for forensics, then stands up and walks around the yawning gap in the ground.

There was nothing salvageable so it was declared unfit for habitation.

 _I won't even grant it that. There's nothing left. This planet's Gate must be buried so deeply that no one can see the devastation left by a brutal enemy._

Half a mile away from the gap, stands a partially torn-down building. Of the whole, only three walls remain upright. The rest have crumbled down, burnt to a crisp. A tear rolls down her cheek, as she searches for evidence. A dead end.

Shadow progresses to the next building, which seems to be the settlement's central hub. Amidst all this devastation, only this building remains semi-intact.

The outer walls are nowhere to be seen, but inside, two to three rooms look stable, even though the outside walls reveal otherwise.

A questioning expression appears on her face. _Out of everything here, why did this place survive the carnage?_

Something silver in the ground reflects a bright light into her eyes. She kneels next to it and digs it out from amongst the rubble. It is a plaque with faint words carved into. They read: BEGINNING OF IMMORTALITY. Ash ascends about the object when it hits the ground.

Shadow jerks awake, crying out "Sam!" She feels panicky.

Samoa slowly sits upright in bed, drowsy. Witnessing the scene next to him, he gently places a hand on her back, rubbing it as he uses his other hand to rub his eyes.

"Another nightmare?"  
"The dream was so real." Still trying to control her panic, the words that emerge from her mouth are barely audible.

"It's okay, Eva, you're safe now." He draws her towards his chest.  
"But those people weren't. If I just got to the planet earlier, they would have been alive today."  
"Don't say that. There was nothing you could have done. Their end was decided before you came into the picture."

Shocked registers on her face, as her breathing becomes even. _How_...?

"How can you say that? Their end was decided? Nothing is set, it could've been prevented."  
"Eva, I didn't….." He's interrupted by her getting out of bed and starting to pace about the room. Something is different in her reaction this time.

 _Maybe a memory of this tragedy has been triggered._

"This dream wasn't the same? Was it Eva?" An understanding expression appears before quickly, it turns into a look of pure love.

She responds by coming to a standstill, as her walls tumble to the ground. She shakes her head, saying, "The dream was the same, but I remembered more… I was collecting samples when I came across a large building. The outer walls were gone, however, the inside wasn't touched by the fire. Three rooms remained intact. Something in the ground caught my eye and when I knelt down to pick it up…"

By this time, tears are streaming down her cheeks, a clear signal for Samoa to approach.

He walks over to her and envelops her in a hug, giving her the desired comfort, as he whispers in her ear, "What was it?"

"A silver plaque," She pauses to breathe in-between sobs, while he wipes her tears away with his thumb, "The words: 'Beginning of Immortality' were written on it. Then I woke up."

Puzzled, he asks, "It can't be-?"

"It was a Shifter planet. All those who died were Shifters."  
"You said everything was destroyed by bombs. That nothing was left alive. Shifters can't be killed by your firepower."

Samoa is walking about the room now, confused and angry at this revelation.

Eva watches as he paces for a while, then speaks.

"We are assuming they had this fail-secure, but according to Leta, our source, they didn't have the advantage that they do now. It happened gradually, after Dallan came into power."

He stops and looks at her, continues when she is finished and asks, "Their advantage grew?"

She nods in lieu of a verbal reply.

"So you're telling me that Dallan was the one who figured out a way to immortalize them on this planet?"

Nodding, she says, "Almost. They still need to reach their goal. Hence, 'Beginning of Immortality'." A shudder runs down her spine, as Samoa cringes inside. "This just doesn't get any better, does it?"

Samoa shakes his head. "No… It doesn't." He pauses when their eyes connect, with both of them thinking the same thing, "Why now? Why are you remembering this now? Dr Lloyd said you wouldn't be able to recall what happened to you during the settlement's destruction. It's a wonder you even survived."

She shrugs as the painful memories of the event return before admitting to him, "It started during yesterday's thunderstorm… when I saw you."

They both drop their gaze to the ground.

A painful expression crosses Samoa's brow, as he tries to ignore the confession.

 _I tried so hard to be there for you but you pushed me away. You couldn't remember what happened. Who could blame you, who would want to remember such devastation? The state I found you in, you were tattered and torn, almost like the planet... You barely made it out with your life._

Sorrow builds within until it reaches breaking point.

"I'm so _sorry_! I'm so sorry... I didn't know what to do, how to approach you." He envelops her again, as tears stream down his cheeks.

Heads touching, a reflection of each other's pain is mirrored on either of their faces, "I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you. I wanted to help… to help you remember, but I only hurt you even more. It tore at me to see you broken and bruised, blaming yourself because you couldn't save those people from the Shifters. I couldn't and still can't imagine what was, what is going on inside of you, nor how you managed to carry on after that tragedy - but it just makes me love you even more."

Both are shaking, overcome by their tears. She leans back against his embrace, looking up into his shimmering blue eyes, "You did what you thought was right. I don't blame you for it. Actually, it was endearing to see you try and crack this hard shell of mine."

A grin curls his lips, as he says, "The truth is… you were the one to crack it and reveal the caring, kind and gentle woman contained within."  
"I've missed you so much Eva. Waiting for you to come back has been so hard..." He lets out a sigh. "But I'm glad you're back... You've brought hope with you."

* * *

\- Atlantis 03:15 a.m. -

 **Prisoner has escaped. I repeat: prisoner has escaped. Please be advised: Use extreme caution. All military personnel are to follow Base Protocol.**

As one, they scattered, heading for the armoury. Along the way, Sheppard's headpiece activates, "Sheppard, Woolsey here. Dallan has escaped. Use as many men available to apprehend him. All civilians have been confined to their quarters and Gate travel has been suspended until further notice. Those off-world have been directed to the Alpha Site. You know the drill?"

"Yes, use extreme caution and use tranquillizer guns to capture the subject."  
"Please be careful."  
"Understood. Sheppard out."

Just as they rounded the second last corner, Lieutenant Colonel Lorne spoke via their headsets: "Colonel Sheppard, we're at the armoury awaiting your orders."  
"Good, grab as many tranquillizer guns as possible..."  
Ronin interjects, "And knives."

Sheppard glares at him, then nods a 'thank you', adding, "Take some smoke grenades and flash-bangs with too. Wait for us, we're around the corner. Sheppard out."

A few minutes later, Sheppard's team arrives at the armoury. Lorne's team with another two marine squads, are standing there waiting, geared up and ready to go.

As his team enters to gear up, he informs them, "Okay, guys, listen up. Lorne, I want your team to mix in with the other two marine squads. Major Garrett, you'll lead one and Lorne the other one."

Within a minute, the three teams form two units, consisting of seven members each. He points at one team and says, "Garrett, you'll take the Northern and Eastern Piers." Then at Lorne, as he says, "You'll take the Southern and Western Piers. We'll take the control tower, infirmary, labs etc. Other base personnel have been confined to their quarters and the Control Room, along with its staff, has been sealed off. Use the trackers and stay in contact with one another. I'll brief the Control Room on how to help as necessary. Understood?"

Affirmative responses come from both teams.

"I know it's a lot of ground to cover and most of our teams are off-world - but we have the numbers to overpower the Shifter. Don't be fooled by his appearance. He may have the likeness of McKay, but he is _not_ human. Treat him as you would a Wraith."

Ronin mumbles, "Unfortunately, it's shoot to capture."

Sheppard turns towards him, "I'm sorry, Chewie, but our hands are tied. If it wasn't for his 'immortality', the order would have been different."

He turns to the others and yells, "Alright, move out."

The teams filter out, going their separate ways, leaving Sheppard's team behind.

"John, why aren't we moving?"

He looks at Tyla and settles his thoughts before he answers with, "How did he escape? He was sedated just enough to be coherent but not enough to be a threat. Now he's free. Why? He has nowhere to go except through the Gate. His route is blocked all the way there."  
"He has McKay's memories. He knows this city better than we do, Sheppard. Whatever his strategy is, he's clearly a threat."  
"I agree with Ronin, John. He knows the city's strengths and weaknesses, both technically and blueprint-wise."

"Yes, I know, that's the problem."

Ronin moves across to the door that leads into the corridor, "Let's get going; we don't have all day."

Sheppard and Tyla follow suit. Ronin, who was walking towards the nearest transporter, as Sheppard calls out, "Wait up, big guy!" He shares a look with Tyla, then enters the transporter, "Just... keep your eyes open. Something still doesn't sit right with me."

He presses the Control Tower's location and exits a few seconds later, "Okay, let's go. Follow me."

Progressively, they move down the corridor. Most of the doors are tightly shut, leaving only the corridors and transporters open for movement.

 _If the Shifter has this figured out, he either is trapped or on the move…_

Sheppard gazes up to the maintenance shaft to his left. Suddenly, he stops and says, "You've got to be kidding me."

Ronin and Tyla stop as well, confusion evident upon their faces. Meanwhile, Sheppard radios the control room, "Chuck, come in…"

Woolsey answers instead, "Go ahead, Colonel."  
"Have you done a scan of the city?"  
"Yes, we have."  
"Does it cover the shafts and vents?"

There's a slight hesitating pause before the answer: "Ah yes, it does but it's not very accurate due to their crossing back and forth over rooms and such... Why do you ask?"

Ronin and Tyla share a look of understanding. Ronin is the first to speak, "You think he has done the same thing Eva did to get away…"

"You mean from me? Yes, I think he has."  
"That means-"  
"Yes, Tyla. By now he could be anywhere in the city. Woolsey, how many of my men are there with you?"  
"Half a dozen or so."

"Okay, this is what you're going to do…" He moves toward the maintenance shaft and opens it. "Place C4 at the entrances, censor detonation. Position two men close to each entrance. The explosion will only slow him down, but it will give the men enough time to overpower him. Another thing, position men beneath the vent just in case he decides to come through there. We'll carry on searching the Control Tower within the shafts and also, in the corridors."

"Will do - and Sheppard… good luck."  
"Thanks, you too. Just keep monitoring the life sign detector and maybe you'll find him. Please keep Lorne and Garrett updated with new developments. Sheppard out."

Sheppard pulls his flash light from his vest and shines light down the shaft, "Never thought I'll crawl in here so quickly." He looks back at them and says, "Move down and search the corridors. We'll meet up at the Mess Hall."

* * *

\- Telcan, Daedalus Home Base: 03:15 a.m. -

Double doors swing wide open as a frantic scientist runs from the main house, currently used as the science lab. Startling a few sleeping dogs here and there. His heavy panting and shoes that hit the muddy path in the village are the only sounds breaking the silence.

The path changes into a small slope before finally coming to a halt in front of McKay's assigned sleeping quarters. Anxiously, he knocks on the door, awaiting the sleepy traveller on the other side of the door.

A few seconds pass before he knocks again. Before he gets in his third rap on the wooden door, it opens, revealing a confused, yet irritated Rodney McKay.

"What? Do you know what time it is?" McKay rubs his eyes to rid them of their murkiness."Yes, Sir, sorry, Sir, but I have urgent news. They want you at the lab _immediately_."

Understanding flickers in the man's eyes. "You're finished already? That's not possible, I didn't expect the data to have been sifted through so quickly…" His eyes connect with those of the man standing across from him. Fear laces his pupils.

 _This is not good._

"I'll meet you there in five minutes."  
"Yes, Sir."

While he closes the door, the scientist darts back from whence he came, as a light drizzle starts.

After a few groans, sighs and murmurings, McKay later walks into the lab, hands in pockets with rain dripping from his jacket, clearly cold and upset.

Anxious scientists and technicians are gathered there, talking amongst themselves. Something is definitely wrong.

 _Not good at all._

"Okay, you've dragged me from much needed sleep to be here. Please tell me what the heck is going on."

A scientist named Shamir steps forward, "We've gone through the data as you requested…"

McKay butts in, asking, "Yeah, yeah. What is it?" Cutting short what could otherwise have been a long explanation, he says, "Get to the point."

After a nervous swallow, Shamir continues talking at a fast pace, "There are other Shifters amidst Atlantis's population. They plan - or have already set into motion their plan - to infiltrate Atlantis and disable its defences so that the final attack can begin."

He takes in a long breath in order to calm down and steps back into the safety of the group as Rodney steps forward, confusion and surprise evident upon his face, as anger and frustration boil within him.

"WHAT? No, no, no, you _must_ be wrong. It can't be." He paces in front of them, scratching his head, "Can it?" He lifts his head to look at them, their helpless expressions confirming his worst nightmare.

"You." He points at the scientist who was sent to find him earlier, "Go get Shadow and her husband. Tell them it's a matter of life and death, that they need to come to the lab _immediately_... mention my name and the Shifters. They'll understand. I'll contact the rest."

"Yes, Doctor." He nods and runs past him into the pouring rain, letting a cold wind into the lab.

A shiver runs down Rodney's spine, followed by goose-bumps, which sprout up all over his body.

 _Our worst nightmare has come true. We're in serious trouble. Our only hope is to figure out this code and destroy them for good._


	22. Chapter 22

_**Telcan, Daedalus Home Base: 04:00 a.m.**_

The room, situated within the central military tent, is quiet, as Major Wilson and General Caldwell stand opposite each other. A lamp dangles from the roof, casting light onto a table between them. A map of the Shifter's home planet lies on it, lines and words scribbled across papers just beside it.

Eloisa, Samoa's sister, strides into the room and positions herself in a badly lit corner, staring at the men.

Once word got out that the war had started, they had left Eva and Samoa in the science lab and had started to devise a plan of attack against Elena.

They had tried to contact Atlantis, but somehow they couldn't get through, not even with the signal boosted. They had tried dialling the Gate - they got through, but the wormhole disconnected after mere seconds. They had been left to assume that Dallan's infiltration had paid off.

As such, they had two options in mind: send the Daedalus, with the necessary crew, to Atlantis for defensive purposes. Second option would be to send ground forces through the Gate to Elena.

According to Shadow's Intel, the town was give or take a mile away from the Gate. It had enough trees around its perimeter to offer cover to their teams. The success of the plan relied heavily upon McKay figuring out the code and initiating it.

"I have an idea." The two men jump, as the female voice breaks through, shattering their concentration. Simultaneously, they lift their heads.

Eloisa, Samoa's sister and Eva's best friend, looks at them with bright green eyes. Mid-twenties, she has medium-length, wavy blonde hair and stands at 5.7ft, with an athletic build. Her fair skin is tanned, after years of hunting with her brother. She is dressed in a brown jacket, with green shirt underneath and tight black pants, donning brown ankle boots. Unlike Eva and Samoa, her battle gear consists of twin swords sheathed on both hips and two knives strapped to her thighs.

As second-in-command to her brother, encouragement, enthusiasm and confidence stream from her, as she continues to gaze at the men, ready to start the next adventure.

Smiling from ear-to-ear, Wilson breaks the silence with, "Okay, let's hear it. What do you have in mind?"

She walks into the light, a grin curling her lips, as she says, "Send the Daedalus to Atlantis with the necessary troops. Right now, it has no defences, so the ship can provide it for the moment. Allow Eva, Samoa and me to Gate through to Elena once Dr McKay has completed the code. With her cloak, Eva can infiltrate and input it. Further, convincing can be achieved through our army."

General Caldwell's mind filters through the info. as he stands with arms crossed, glaring down at the map.

 _Shadow is the best person for the mission, I agree. She knows the lay of the land and sending along skilled trackers will only double the success of the mission - and it also means fewer casualties and quicker results._

He is pacing now, Wilson and Eloisa follow his movements with their eyes.

"Okay, I agree but all this is based on their making the final move. It's frustrating not knowing the battle plans of your enemy. All we have are 'might haves' and 'maybes'-"

The Major interjects with, "General, they've already declared war just by sending Dallan in. Now he has who knows how many Shifters with him on Atlantis. Their battle plan was initiated the moment McKay was kidnapped. They are devious, they are cunning and they are ruthless."

Wilson is interrupted by the tent flap opening to reveal Shadow and Samoa. "They are ruthless yes, and they are devious - but so are we. Two can play this game. We have the means and methods to catch them by surprise and negotiate with them." Shadow acknowledges those in the room, her greeting is returned by curt nods.

"General, remember the planet that was bombed?" He nods and she continues with, "That planet was a former Shifter planet, right? It was destroyed by Dallan himself on his rise to the throne, so to speak."

Confusion laces his brow as he says, "I don't understand."

Samoa: "She remembers what happened, General. According to the Daedalus source Leta, it's where they were created and lived for thousands of years. They lived at peace like normal humans but Dallan wanted more. By studying their history, he realized the full potential of his race and experimented in order to become immortal."

Shadow continues, "It explains how he knew the location of the Ancient scientist's labs... The final pieces to his immortal puzzle."

Samoa approaches the table and says, "We've sent some men to the planet to search and gather more evidence. What they find can be useful in figuring out-"

"Figuring out what? Are you trying to save them? No, they started it but _we're_ going to end it."

Shock registers upon the faces of all group members, who turn in unison in the direction of the angry voice that just spoke. McKay stands in the doorway, wet and livid, tension evident in his posture.

 _This is not good_.

"Yes, to save them, McKay. They're living beings."  
"No, they're far from it, Eva."

She grimaces at her own defence of their enemy, especially with the havoc Dallan has wrought back home... Unfortunately, it does not escape them because confusion is clearly evident. She decides to turn the attention back to the fuming astrophysicist.

 _Clearly you're angry, McKay._

"They were created just like you and I, Rodney. If there is a chance for us to restore them and allow them to lead normal lives again, then we should take it."

He shouts in reply, "You of all people should know what they are capable of! They should be _destroyed_."

They are facing each other now, standing six metres apart. One is calm and collective, whilst the other, angry and livid.

The rest of the group stand close to the table in the middle of the room.

Rain starts pouring down on the roof, drowning out the volume of their voices a little. Shadow stands firm and confident in place, while McKay, who has stepped away from the tent opening, is visibly distraught and on-edge.

"They've been poisoned by a leader with a lust for power, revenge and invincibility, McKay. You of all people should know _that_. What they deserve is the freedom to choose... Why punish an entire race because of one arrogant, power-hungry leader?"

Samoa quietly approaches her from behind, whispering in her left ear, "What are you doing?"

She looks at him, then back at McKay, "I'm appealing to the man's humanity."  
"Then you're asking him to do the opposite of what they did to him. Look at him, really _look_ at him. He did not have your kind of experience. He saw only the bad. You, on the other hand, have seen both sides of your enemy."

She gazes at Rodney, taking in every feature, every nervous tick, anything to stop her from pleading for their enemies' lives. "Be careful with your next words."

 _I'm sorry, Sam but I can't do that... You weren't there. You didn't see the society they've become, what they can be. You didn't witness their peace, as they remained oblivious to their leader's anger._ _You didn't see the massacre._

Her thoughts are interrupted by McKay saying, "You have no idea what you're doing. You have not lived amongst them. You didn't have to endure captivity like I had to Shadow." He hisses out her name, anger dripping from every word. "I was kept in a dark room for days on end, until it was finally decided to put me to better use. I was never wanted for my scientific ideas. Just to be another pawn in Dallan's game. You don't know how it feels to be alone on a planet full of Shifters pretending to be humans, when, in actual fact, they're formless beings. To be threatened with death every time Dallan gets closer to reaching his goal. With nowhere to hide, Shadow and nowhere to run. You have not walked in my shoes. You have not felt the things I have felt."

 _Oh? Yet I have faced them head-on. I've foiled their plans more than once, McKay. I have lived amongst them, the real Shifters, those who are oblivious to their actual potential of wreaking devastation and war. One risked her life to show me who they are, not just what Dallan has told you they are. I know the real truth, whereas you know only the lies that he has fed to you._

Sweat is running down his forehead, as his body shakes from the adrenaline surging through his veins.

Shadow takes a step towards him, her words barely audible, "Shifters are the reflection of who you can choose to be. I've seen what you can become if you allow this to consume you, McKay."

He steps forward and shoves her back into Samoa, shouting, "I'm _nothing_ like him, you hear me?"

No one responds to the outburst. Caldwell and Wilson look at each other, the same idea coming into both their minds.

 _Eva's drawing his anger out... it's her way of forcing him to see the light._

From the side, Eloisa stares at Samoa, who helps Shadow back onto her feet.

 _How can my brother allow this to continue? They've lost all focus with this little dispute of theirs._

Suddenly, Shadow launches at McKay, hitting him square in the jaw. He stumbles back, recovers quickly, then moves forward swiftly, coming in with his left arm and fist raised. Shadow, with a firm stance, effectively blocks his arm with her right one.

This exposes his frame and allows her to hit him twice in the stomach with her left hand. His body recoils, giving her the opportunity to hit his jaw once more with her right knee, causing him to land on his back.

"Get up, McKay! Don't tell me that's all you've got?"

"That's enough!" Samoa yells but Caldwell places a hand on his shoulder, easing him back behind the table to where the rest of them are standing as he quietly adds, "Leave them... She knows what she's doing."

Slowly yet uncomfortably, McKay rises to his feet, a steely gaze meeting a sardonic smile. An irritated McKay moves in with a frontal kick, which Shadow easily avoids, jabbing his right side three times with her left fist. As he reacts to the punches, she places her right foot behind his left leg and flips him over with her right forearm.

Rodney's slammed down onto his back again, his head colliding with the ground, earning a mutual wince from their audience.

Gazing at his painful expression, she stands above him, "Come on, Rodney, is this how they trained you? It's pathetic, if you ask me."

He surprises her by slamming the back of her knees. She uses the forward momentum to do a shoulder roll, ending up near the door, with her back to him. A grin curls her lips.

Simultaneously, McKay shoulder rolls towards the group, doing a one-eighty degree turn and quickly descends on her.

Sensing the charge, Shadow turns around, grabs his left forearm, right hand on his back and throws him against the door. McKay's momentum sends him flying through the flap, out into the pouring rain, landing on his right shoulder in the mud, a few feet away.

He rolls onto his back, hands on his head. His body trembles, sobs echo through the rain.

The group gathers in the tent entrance, gazing out at the scene.

Shadow pities the man, years of holding back and trying to survive making their appearance felt at last.

Shouting over the noise of the rain, she says, "Dallan lied to you, McKay. What he said about their history is a lie. It was just to reel you in and make you submit to his game. I've seen their real world, where they come from. It's beautiful and tranquil. Shifters living in peace, oblivious to the fact that they are our carbon copies."

His voice is shaky as he speaks, "I don't understand. I thought Elena was their home planet."

"No, it's not. It's a planet used to create his army. It's a façade, all of it. Last year Dallan destroyed his real home."

Shadow moves out of the doorway, into the pouring rain, and walks towards him. She reaches out her hand to him and says, "He killed millions of Shifters to cover his discovery."

McKay stares up at her, confusion spreading across his face. He looks at her hand, then grabs it. With him on his feet again, they both walk back into the tent, with everyone's attention now on them again.

"What was his discovery?"  
"That the Shifters living there had no super-strength, they could be killed like you and me. He found out about their existence, what they were and what their intended goal was."

Confusion is replaced by shock. "How do you know all this?" He asks the very question everyone is thinking.

"I was on the planet when it was bombed. I found out the truth just before the first bomb hit but because of my injuries and head wound, I couldn't remember what happened - not until early this morning. Dr Lloyd supposes that I repressed it and thought the chances of the memories returning were very slim. The sound of the storm triggered it. He detonated fire-bombs."

Caldwell stares at the two of them. Shadow is hiding one important thing that happened before the destruction of Lenora. The event that started its demise - but why would she withhold such crucial evidence? Come to think of it though, he would too, in her shoes.

 _Ha, something is up with McKay._

Realising his misunderstanding of the situation, McKay looks at the ground, clearly ashamed, yet relieved, "They never saw it coming? Wow, just another veil pulled over my eyes and the eyes of those on Elena."

He looks up at them, his eyes intense, "What are we going to do? If they are being manipulated, we need to stop them from following Dallan into battle. We'll be saving so many lives if we do."

There's silence as the group mulls this over for a while. Caldwell moves over to the map on the table, followed shortly by Wilson and Samoa. The women remain standing on either side of Rodney.

Somehow it comforts him, knowing that they aren't blaming him for his reaction earlier.

 _It was stupid to fight Eva, yet now I feel a little bit better. All that anger, frustration and resentment pushed back so I could stay alive. Now that I'm free, I want to make them pay. I lost four years of my life on that planet..._

Tension starts to build and Shadow senses it.

She whispers into his right ear, "Channel this frustration into saving a race, McKay. Fight the right fight, not the wrong one. Dallan will rightfully pay for what he did - and he'll receive it from his own kind."

They gaze at each other, respect for the other forming in their eyes.

Their moment is interrupted by General Caldwell's voice, saying: "Dallan needs to be captured and brought before his own kind. A compelling argument needs to be backed up with solid evidence. So if McKay can have the code ready by then, along with evidence obtained from their original planet, we can prove to them their true existence. We need to be ready for retaliation. Some will accept the truth and some will fight it. All the Shifters will have is our word and that alone will not help, therefore, real, physical evidence is required to convince them. How we're going to do that is up to Dr McKay, Shadow, Samoa and Eloisa. Major Wilson, a few marine squads and I will take the Daedalus to be in aid of the Atlantians. We don't know what we'll have to face when we get there, but our main goal is to detain Dallan. Our plan depends solely on his capture. If we don't succeed, then we've officially cemented our position as their enemy."


	23. Chapter 23

**_Atlantis, 04:15 a.m._**

The gate technician, along with Mr Woolsey, was standing in front of the communications console, which overlooked the Gate Room. No one was showing their concern, but tensions were starting to surface.

"Our communications are down, Sir and so is the Gate. We have no means of knowing where Colonel Sheppard is or what he is doing. As of now, all teams are operating in the dark, including the rest of Atlantis."  
"I know it looks bad, Chuck but we still have the Daedalus. If they were the ones who dialled the Gate earlier, General Caldwell will come to our aid."

"Even if they do come, how will they communicate with us?"  
"They have beaming technology and they have their own sensors to pick up our teams. The Daedalus can help with the search for Dallan."  
"If he's started by disabling the communications and the Gate, he'll continue until _all_ our defences are down. He'll be able to run the city from Dr McKay's lab."

"Yes, Chuck, I know. When his army arrives, we'll be dead in the water - but we have something that he doesn't know we have."  
"And what is that, Sir?"

"Not what, but whom..."  
"Come again?"  
"We have Agent Shadow, Dr Rodney McKay _and_ the Telcans to infiltrate the Shifters' home planet."

If the man was puzzled before, he is now more than ever. His facial expression details it clearly.

 _Who is Agent Shadow and the Telcans? Shifters' home planet? What on earth is he talking about?_

* * *

MEANWHILE, somewhere between the Mess Hall and the Infirmary, a maintenance shaft covering falls to the ground, revealing Sheppard's combat boots. Shortly afterwards, he quietly drops to the ground from the shaft's position.

"Tyla and Ronin, come in…"

Distortion breaks the silence in the corridor.

"I repeat, Tyla and Ronin come in."

Distortion once again fills the silence.

"So much for radio contact. So he's managed to shut down communications and block our radio signals. Go figure."

John gazes to the left, then to the right, "What are my options? I have a staircase nearby that will get me down to the lower levels where the labs are."

 _He's deactivating key systems, which are accessible from McKay's lab. Then he'll need to shut down the generators that are located in different parts of the city. Disconnect the 'Zero Point Modules', in order to disable the city's main power. We'll be left in the dark and have no means by which to activate the city's shields or use firepower when his army arrives. That part is still a mystery but either they have ships we don't know about or they're coming through the Gate. Either way, we're crippled._

 _My teams could be anywhere by now. They'll have continued with their search and have come to the same conclusion. I hope they split up to cover the generators and the Z.P.M. That's our only hope to stay ahead in this game of cat-and-mouse. I'll have to progress to the labs and hope I find him. If not, wherever he is, havoc is soon to follow._

Sheppard reaches the lab level and exits off the stairs. He pans right, then left, checking to see if the coast is clear. Then, he moves down the left corridor. It is quiet and eerie and not at all to his liking. All his senses are on high alert, as he passes a few rooms that are shut tight. He turns right at a dead-end, crouching down as the corridor to the intended lab comes into sight.

 _This is it!_

With his tracker in one hand and a tranquillizer gun in another, he moves slowly, checking his exposed right. In this part of the city, an atrium extends the length of a few levels, making it possible to see what is happening on the levels above and below the one he's currently occupying.

Walking quietly and swiftly, he checks his left and then his right. As he passes a dark, open door, he's suddenly grabbed by something from his left and smashed against the wall. A heavy grunt follows, as he bounces off the wall and back into the middle of the corridor. His response is short-lived, however, as a blow to the stomach forces him against the railing. He groans as a sharp pain shoots up his back. A boot collides with his abdomen making him recoil, the wind knocked out of him.

The tracker and gun bounce on the ground as they're dropped. Next, a knee connects with his chest, making Sheppard drop down onto his hands and knees, defenceless to the next onslaught: a frontal kick to his ribcage that propels him away from his assailant, causing him to roll a few feet away.

Out of the corner of his eye, he notices the tranquillizer gun. In one quick motion he grabs it, points it in the assailant's direction and fires two darts. In quick procession, they hit the man's chest. He emits a growl, as he stumbles backwards against the wall and slumps down into a sitting position. Anger and confusion furrow his brow. Finally, he drops to his side, overcome by the sedative.

Heavy breathing echoes throughout the corridor, as Sheppard struggles back onto his feet. Pain shoots up his back and throughout his abdomen, a groan expressing how he feels inside.

Slowly, he approaches the sleeping figure: "A civil engineer?" Puzzled, he crouches down beside him and checks his pockets, which contain nothing. Only his uniform indicates who this man is.

 _Why did he attack me?_

Aching muscles protest as he stretches up to his full height and walks over to the tracker lying on the ground. He grabs it as he says out loud, "For some reason or other, I couldn't detect you with this. One thing's certain though... you sure can pack a punch."

Realization flashes through his eyes, followed a few seconds later by a confused expression.

 _Nah, can't be. He's not a Shifter - or is he? Thought there was only one?_

Darkness envelops him as this section's generator is disconnected.

 _He was a distraction._

"Great, I guess this answers my question."

* * *

-Lenora: original Shifter planet, 05:00 a.m. -

Amidst the rubble of the headquarters that once existed on Lenora, a hand reaches up from underneath the ground, causing dust and ash to swirl about it. A slender arm and upper body follows soon thereafter, as a figure tries to break through the soft dirt. There's a struggle to climb up completely through, so upon finding herself stuck, a female voice pierces through the dust-filled air with the following breathless exclamation: "I found something!"

A few scientists, along with Shadow's own entourage, descend upon the spot, pulling her free from the man-made hole. The dust settles to reveal a group of ten surrounding her.

Shadow approaches the 5.3 ft brunette and asks: "What did you find?"

Whilst slapping dirt and ash from her hands, she answers with, "There's a lab of some sorts down there. Seems a force-field, now depleted, gave it protection from the bombing."

Hope overflows within Eva and McKay, compelling them to want to explore this secret.

McKay is the first to speak. "We need to get down there. It's the key to this whole thing. If Dallan created their new code in _this_ lab, the original one is also there. Once put together, we can create a formula, one to save them and one to terminate them." He pauses and looks at Eva as he adds, "It's just a precaution in case things get out of hand."

"I don't like it but with what Dallan has done so far, it's best that we have an ace of sorts in our hand… you know, just in case he decides to resist."

She turns to the brunette and asks, "How did you discover it?"

Pointing west of the hole, she says in answer: "I found a similar entrance about 30 metres away and near it, a tunnel, which I then followed. When I entered the room, the tunnel collapsed behind me. I quickly searched for another way out, then found stairs leading up to a trapdoor entrance. There is debris here and there, but I got through with ease."

"How is it holding up structurally?" Shadow queries as she motions to the combat engineers to start opening the gap.

As they obey, the brunette, Natasha, answers Eva's question: "The ceiling is concrete and there's no sign of structural damage, thanks to the shield. It's odd though, if the Shifter bombed this settlement to destroy all evidence, well then, he didn't do a good job."

The statement intrigues Rodney, who snaps his fingers before saying: "I like your thinking there, Natasha. Someone wanted to make sure it stayed in-tact - and I might know who that person is."

There is a spark in his eyes, as a part of the old McKay shines through. He walks past Eva and Natasha, smiling from ear-to-ear before entering the now-visible trapdoor. With his laptop in hand and tablet strapped to his back, he barely hears Eva's questions as he descends down the stairs, "What are you talking about? Who is it?"

"I've got work to do!" He shouts back. "I'm back to saving the Universe again, you know!"

A smirk curls Shadow's lips.

 _Finally, the McKay I wanted to meet. Let's hope this streak continues. It's desperately needed._

* * *

\- Elena, 05:15 a.m. -

Boots scurry over rocks and dirt, heading down the path towards Damian's house, north of the headquarters. The young Shifter's breathing increases as he quickens his pace.

Within a few minutes, he reaches the intended house and rapidly knocks on the door.

Fortunately for him, Damian was preparing to leave. The door opens in one swift motion, startling his personal messenger.

"Yes?"  
"Sir, the lab has been activated on Lenora. We have confirmation that it's Dr McKay and we know he's not alone. He's accessing the data as we speak. What are your orders?"

Wonder shines out of his eyes.

 _They've found it. Good! That's good. It means they can stop this attack and finally stop Dallan. Finally, retribution for my beloved Leta._

The messenger stands silently, awaiting his orders.

"Thank you. That's exactly what we want them to do. Continue monitoring their progress... it won't be long until the task is completed. Dismissed."

The messenger salutes and then runs back from whence he came.

Lyon Damian steps out into the cold morning air. Dawn is slowly starting to creep across the sky, illuminating the town of Elena. The sun's radiance and light breaking through the tall trees and lavish fields.

 _The time has come, Elena, for you to go back to the tranquil life you desire. The dawn of a new age will begin once your leader is defeated and forced to pay for the crimes he committed against you._

 _I wish you could see this, Leta, your actions set into motion the necessary things required to free us from the Destroyer. Your sacrifice will give Elena the freedom it craves._

* * *

\- Atlantis, 05:15 a.m. -

"Kiernan, it's time."  
"As ordered, Commander Dallan."

The sound of a switch being flipped echoes about the dark room. A few seconds later, dirt and concrete fly in all directions, as an explosion goes off in the first section of Atlantis' living quarters. Windows shatter, propelling glass everywhere. Simultaneously, doors burst apart, sending metal in all directions that collides with human bodies.

Some are injured, some dead, whilst others are barely alive. The blast's radius of 300 m leaves gaping holes in the walls, ceilings and floors. As people scatter in all directions, smoke and fire spread down the untouched corridors, enveloping other rooms as they progress.

* * *

In McKay's lab, Colonel Sheppard is knocked from his feet. The force of the explosion sends a shock-wave across the whole north-eastern section.

He covers his head, as laptops and equipment shake and fall to the ground around him. Panic courses through his body, causing images of people dying to spill through his mind.

"No! No, no, no, _no_!" He shouts as the trembling stops. "What have you done?"

 _You lowlife rat! I'm coming for you!_

The Colonel gets to his feet and darts for the stairs that run in the direction of the blown section. When he reaches the next level, the door is shut tight. Without thinking twice he heads for the vent, climbs in and disappears.

* * *

"Captain, are you okay?"

After a few coughs, he replies, "Yes, Sir. Just a few bumps and bruises. You?"  
"I'm fine. Check on the others whilst I search for a way out."  
"Yes, Major Garrett."

Debris is scattered around them.

To the Major's left, a light shimmers through the sunken floor from the level below. Dust and dirt covers most of the thirteen-metre-long area they are trapped in.

"What's the status back there, Captain?"

He tilts in his direction, his eyes scanning the area for possible exits.

"Two are unconscious, Major. They have a few scratches and possible concussions. The Lieutenant has woken up, he has a slight concussion, a sprained ankle and broken wrist. I'll bandage it and place his arm in a sling."

"Good, Captain." He moves over to where the light is filtering through the sunken floor. He looks back at the Captain and says, "That leaves two of us unaccounted for. I hope they made it."

"So do I, Sir."

 _That monster is going to pay for what he's done._

Garrett starts removing rocks from the dirt and concrete heap, careful to avoid being nicked by wires that protrude from it.

 _We've got to get through here and assess the damage. Once finished, the wounded need to be tended to._

* * *

Up in the Control Room, a guard, roaming the balcony, spots smoke rising from the north-east part of the city. Panic sets in, causing him to run directly to Mr Woolsey, who is sitting in his office.

"Sir, we have a problem. There's smoke coming from the north-east quarters. There must have been an explosion."  
"What?" Woolsey shouts as he vacates the chair and follows the soldier out onto the balcony.

"There, Sir." He points towards the smoke cloud and adds, "It's getting darker. The fire hasn't been contained and it looks to be spreading."  
"No," Woolsey whispers softly, overcome by sorrow.

 _How many?_

"Mr Woolsey? Shouldn't we do something? We can't let our people suffer like this."  
"This is an act of war, Lieutenant. There is nothing we can do about it."

Like the smoke ascending into the sky, anger rises up within Richard Woolsey. How did things go so far?

A bitter taste fills his mouth.

 _Why did we allow this to happen? He's loose in the city, free to do whatever he wants. Dallan's left us blind, while he blows my people and city to smithereens._

With a sad sigh, he thinks, _so this is how it feels to be a spectator of your own people's demise… powerless and exposed!_


	24. Chapter 24

**_Daedalus, 05:30 a.m._**

"Wilson, what's our progress?"  
"We'll arrive in a few minutes, General."

"Good. I want shields and weapons ready the moment we drop out of hyper-space. Scan for any radio communication. It may be that it's already been disabled but there's a chance that we might get lucky."

"Yes, Sir. Would you like me to scan for Sheppard's beaming transmitter?"  
"Affirmative. And that of Mr Woolsey - a status report the moment you find it."  
"Copy that, Sir. Wilson out."

General Caldwell's desk is piled with papers, along with Elena's map. Scratching his head, he turns his attention back to the plan for defending Atlantis. Elena has been left to Shadow and her entourage, whilst Atlantis, as always, has been given over to him.

 _How many times must I come to your rescue? If it isn't the Wraith, the Replicators or Michael and his hybrids you need help with, it's volcanoes that are swallowing up planets, with you on it. Or the Jenney taking our people hostage. Now you have a new threat coming after you... When will we get a break?_

Wilson's voice filters through his earpiece: "General, you might want to come to the Bridge. There's something you need to see."

 _It's always something._

"I'm on my way."

A few minutes later, Caldwell enters the Bridge where he's met by a worried-looking welcoming committee. He decides to ignore them and instead, focuses on the Major.

"Yes, Major. What is it that I _need_ to see?"

Kyle Wilson approaches him with a tablet. Holding it between them, he points to the screen, "We scanned for signals like you asked and as we've suspected, Atlantis is dead in the water. Communications are down, a generator has been disconnected and…" He pauses, a worried expression appearing on his face.

The General notices it and urges him to continue. He swallows before he speaks, "Um, there's been - there's been an explosion, General."  
"What? Where?"  
"North-eastern section, Sir. Civilian quarters."  
"Can we beam people out?"

"I'm sorry, General. The fire is making it difficult and without transmitters, they're sitting ducks. Our only other option is to beam medical staff down and staff that can put out the fire."  
"You're telling me there is no one down there who can help them?"  
"None that we are aware of, Sir. The Daedalus is all they got."

Caldwell ponders his options for a while before he turns to the others on the Bridge and says: "I want men sent down along with the necessary equipment to assess the damage. Tell Dr Lloyd to ready his staff. Then beam them down as well. Scan for any other transmitters, especially Sheppard's team. Beam them up the moment you find them."

Here he turns to Major Wilson and says, "And get Woolsey up here immediately. We've got work to do."

Affirmation responses ring throughout the Bridge, followed shortly by the pressing of buttons and orders being given via intercoms like a combine harvester at work, trying to save their people.

Seconds later, Caldwell is met by a dazed-looking Woolsey, as the beam's light dispels him into the Bridge."Ah, thank goodness. You're here. Atlantis..."

Before he can continue, the General signals for him to follow.

"Good, so you know." Woolsey shouts as he catches up.  
"Yes, we do and we're sending out help as we speak."

After a momentary silence, they enter the conference room. He gestures for Woolsey to take a seat, as he takes one himself.

"All right, Richard, I'm waiting - and please, I would like the concise and precise version of what is going on down there. People are being burnt to a crisp and it is causing me to rethink my being here."

Woolsey's brow furrows at the last sentence but he chooses to ignore it for now and immediately informs the General about the past few hour's happenings. When he finishes, he can see rage flashing across the man's features. Caldwell isn't too happy.

Without hesitating, Steven, too, informs him of what has happened since McKay's rescue, about the original Shifter planet discovery, McKay's life on Elena and Dallan's real purpose.

It is intriguing to him at first but when the events of what happened on Telcan come to light, it is his turn to be angry.

"She wants to do what?" Anger laces Woolsey's every word.

"We all agreed to follow this plan but with what Dallan has done now, I'm thinking we should destroy him and save his people. To keep him and his followers alive could be a huge mistake though."

"You're right about that! Dallan has killed several of our people and has left many more to die. And all for what - to make his point? What is that exactly? No, he needs to answer for his crimes. He and his followers on Elena." He takes a moment to calm down, before adding, "Has McKay also succumbed to Shadow's idea?"

Caldwell nods in agreement and says, "As a matter of fact, we all did. If they lived peaceful lives before and what they are now is only because of Dallan, then I can see no harm in returning them to their original purpose. They are living beings, Richard, like you and I and like us, they can be persuaded to go either way."

"What are we going to do if they don't comply?"  
"McKay has been ordered to create another formula that will terminate those who are resistant. They either submit - or they die."  
"Those are the choices then?"

They're interrupted by an urgent knocking upon the door.

"Enter!"

A surprised gaze is shared between the two as Sheppard and his team step into the room.

Caldwell, along with Woolsey, vacate their chairs and go to greet them. When this has been done, they all sit down.

Sheppard is the first to inform them about what's been happening on Atlantis.

"There are more Shifters on Atlantis. Did you see them?"  
"Yes, but how many, I'm not sure. I was beamed away the moment I reached the affected area."

"We did not meet any Shifters during our search. We, too, were on our way to assess the damage when we were beamed away."  
"You guys didn't happen to stumble across Major Garrett? His team was surveying the area."

Concern builds within Tyla as she answers the Colonel's question, saying: "I'm sorry, John but we didn't see anyone. They may have been caught in the explosion."

"Don't worry, the Daedalus is searching for any transmitters and teams have been sent down to help the trapped personnel."  
"Thank you, General." Some tension dissipates from within the Colonel, relief spilling out.

It is short-lived, however, as Major Wilson's voice speaks through the Intercom.

"General Caldwell, another bomb has exploded. This time on the north-western civilian quarters."

The room goes quiet as shock registers on everyone's faces.

Ronin growls his disapproval as he slams his fist onto the table, Tyla inwardly scowls at the Shifter's act.

Caldwell and Woolsey stare at each other, anger flaring up within them both. Sheppard, with a neutral expression, gets to his feet. All tilt their heads in his direction.

He points his finger mid-air before he breaks the silence with, "I'm not going to just sit here and wait for him to blow my people to pieces." The words came out slow and methodical, yet each one of them drips cold anger. "I'm not going to lose any more of my people to this lowlife of a Shifter. You hear me?"

As one, Ronin and Tyla rise to their feet, backing their leader.

"He's disabling the generators before he targets the areas where the highest number of civilians are. Lorne and his men are down there and have either been caught in the explosion or else, they're close by. Beam them out, along with Major Garrett's team. Permission to send us down immediately, General? To end this fight once and for all."

Caldwell looks up at the younger man. Confidence and concern radiates from him.

"Permission granted, Colonel. If your teams are not injured in the explosions, I'll send them…"  
"Great, thank you, General..."

Sheppard's team turn as one to leave as Caldwell stops them, saying, "I'm not done yet. I'm sending Major Wilson and his team along too. After Shadow and McKay, he's the next Shifter expert. Trust me, you'll need him."  
"If you deem it necessary. I accept. Thank you, Sir."

Silently the door closes behind them, leaving the older men to mull and plan counter-attacks over the course of the next few hours.

* * *

\- Lenora, 06:00 a.m. -

 _Place this letter next to this one, then add a colon. Place the result between parentheses followed by an equals sign. Combine the two codes' results then…_

" _Yes,_ got it! Said I was a genius. Yes! Yes, yes, _yes_!" A grin spreads across Rodney's lips, followed by a fist-pump to highlight his victory. He turns around to find an empty lab. Surprise registers on his face, then disappointment, as no one has witnessed his stroke of genius.

"Hey, where is everyone?" He heads for the stairs, squinting as the bright sunlight blasts down onto his features. He holds his left hand to his forehead to shield his eyes from the sun, as simultaneously, he searches for his companions.

His question is answered as south of his position, about a hundred metres away, figures can be seen moving across the dust-filled landscape.

"What are they up to? Thought the lab was more important."

An irritated McKay jogs the distance until he reaches the working figures.

" _What_ are you doing?" He questions breathlessly. "Doesn't the formula take priority over this?" He gestures to their seemingly pointless effort.

Shadow is the first to stop digging, dust and dirt falling over her boots as she climbs out the hole and says, "Not to offend you, Doctor, but anything we find is top priority. And what did you expect, having left us with vague assumptions? That we'd follow you and do what exactly? Stand and witness you achieve 'the impossible' _again_?"

McKay is speechless, as the rest stop and smile up at the two of them, standing on the edge of the pit.

Arguments in his mind want to spill out but what she said overrules them by far.

All he can muster is a timid 'no'.

Sweat rolls down the side of Shadow's cheeks, mixing in with the dust and ash.

In Rodney's opinion, with spade in hand, she looks ready for battle... at least, enough to make him rethink his next line.

After a nervous swallow, he asks, "So what are you digging for?"

A wry smile curls her lips before she answers, telling the cautious scientist, "We're looking for a plaque."

Confusion lines his expression.

"It's got to do with Dallan."

 _Vagueness, meet more vagueness... Love it!_

"We're basically searching for more evidence about Dallan." Samoa puts in, summarising her intended meaning.

"Wow, okay. So, not so pointless after all." He pauses before he points back over his shoulder with his left thumb in the lab's direction, "Um, I've got something pertaining to it... Well, not just something. Actually, the whole thing. As in, a formula. Follow me!"

Excitement is ripe in the air as the men and women emerge from the so-called 'treasure pits' and head for the underground lab.

* * *

\- Elena, 06:30 a.m. -

The Gate shuts down as three people head for the nearest cluster of trees to their left, passing two unconscious guards on the way. As the group approaches, Shadow peeks around a tree, as she disengages her cloak. They are surrounded by mist, the light barely breaking through its thickness.

As one, they move to the edge of the tree-line, with the light of two lanterns flickering in the distance, from a farm to their left. The rise is a few feet away, with cattle just below it. The town, unfortunately, is not visible.

"West from this rise," Eva points in its direction, "we'll be able to access the town. McKay is going to direct you in Damian's direction. Fortunately, you've got the mist as perfect cover. I'll head for the headquarters and input the formula as instructed. McKay will have the trigger, so to speak, to distribute it when the time comes. I'll meet you at Damian's when I'm done. Please be careful."

Silent nods come from the other three. Shadow's eyes connects with those of her husband, a curt nod is exchanged between them, accompanied by a loving smile. She gazes at Eloisa repeating the same procedure.

Finally, she meets McKay's eyes and a grin appears. An understanding nod comes from him, then he signals for the rest to follow him west, around the farm and they disappear into the thick mist, heading for the town.

Shadow, cloak re-engaged, moves, east towards Elena's headquarters. Weaving in between houses and Shifters - all unaware of the figure, who intends to free them, silently treading amongst them - ready themselves for the new day ahead.

A few minutes later, Shadow finds herself in a dimly lit room. Lights from the equipment flash yellow, green and red, make the room appear like a tiny disco floor.

She gradually filters through the room's different computer consoles, before she comes across the intended one - the one McKay described necessary for interfacing.

Grabbing a modified flash-drive from her pocket, Shadow inserts it into the console. A directory pops up along with a bunch of coding. She hits 'Enter' and the code runs like movie credits across a built-in fifty inch flat screen, positioned just above the keyboard within the console.

A highlighted block appears with the words: 'code downloaded'. She hits 'Enter' again, removes the flash-drive, returning everything back to its original format as she does so. No one will be any the wiser.

 _Great, that's done and dusted now it just needs to be activated on Rodney's end._

She gazes about the room, searching for a way to seal the door without someone noticing that it's been tampered with.

Her eyes connect with a little 'box' next to it. As she comes closer, she notices there's one on the outside. Shadow opens it and strips a few wires within it. Silently the door slides closed again, as she replaces the 'lid'.

* * *

On the northern side of town, McKay, Samoa and Eloisa quietly approach the back of Lyon Damian's house, which is located on top of a small hill that overlooks the town. Tall, green grass surrounds it, with a few trees overreach next to a shed ten metres right of the house.

A tall figure paces the main room, his boots barely audible on the wooden floor. Samoa finds an open window and beckons for them to climb in after him. One by one, they filter into the bedroom, with Eloisa the last to enter.

The Telcan family patiently gaze at Rodney, who's positioned left of the open door in the best spot from which to peer into the main room. He notices Damian over at the window, looking out upon the scenery. He motions to the Telcans, then signals for them to cover him and take up their defensive positions.

Swiftly and quietly, he descends upon Damian, grabbing him from behind before finally, he lodges a unique flash-drive, disguising mild tranquillizer dart, into his sternum with his right hand as he covers his mouth with his left, thus muffling the Shifter's cry of surprise.

With the sedative now coursing throughout his bloodstream, Lyon drops down to his knees. Without warning, Rodney's knee connects with the Shifter's jaw, making him fall onto his back.

Damian, now defenseless and hazy, looks into blazing eyes that loom up above him. Realization dawns on him as he fights against the heaviness of the sedative.

He, with a slight slur, asks, "McKay? Wha- what's going on? What's happening to me?"

McKay bends down over him, a stern expression upon his face as a tone of mockery seeps into his whispered words, "Tell me, how does it feel to be on the receiving end? To be powerless? To be a _real_ human?"

"Feels good. Kind of like…" Damian's reply is interrupted by a blow to the cheek."Seriously? Now you wanna be sarcastic? Don't antagonize me!"

Rodney's stern expression dissipates somewhat after this leaving a silence between them. At this point, a staring contest of sorts ensues between them.

About a minute later, McKay continues with, "Listen carefully. We have the means to end you _and_ we have the means to save you. Your co-operation - and that of your followers - will determine the means that we'll select. Nod if you understand."

Lyon Damian hesitates for a second, then nods.

"Good. Now, I'm going to remove the dart, which will make you feel unsteady for a few minutes."

There's panic in the Shifters eyes so McKay adds, "Don't worry, it's just the fail-secure being altered back to your original base code. This is all perfectly safe."


	25. Chapter 25

_**Atlantis, 06:30 a.m.**_

Atarah, a female Shifter, approaches Dallan and his team. They're in a room located in the south-western section of the Control Tower.

He acknowledges the scout before she speaks, saying, "Felix has been captured, Commander. Sheppard managed to overpower him with a large dose of sedative. He'll be unconscious for the remainder of the day."

A disappointed expression appears on his face, as his thoughts run at a thousand miles per hour. Finally, coming to a conclusion, he positions himself before the remaining seven Shifters - three women and four men - all loyal soldiers in their own right.

"That's unfortunate. Sheppard probably has figured out what we're doing and that, too, is unfortunate - but he is short of men and therein lies our advantage. I want us to split up into three teams."

He points to his left, separating the Shifters, "Galla, Tomas and Amadeus, you're team one." Then, he gestures to his right, adding, "Alexei, Athalia and Atarah, team two." Lastly, he points in Kiernan's direction and says, "You're with me."

Whilst they move into position, he lets them in on the strategic change: "There are two generators left along with the Z.P.M's. Team one will progress to this section's generator and rig it to blow on my command. Team two will move to the one situated on the south-eastern side and do the same. Team three will head for the Z.P.M's and disconnect them. They're great worth and will leave Atlantis completely defenceless against the Wraith, who will come in due time."

Alexei puts in, "But Commander, we're not leaving them completely defenceless. They still have two working generators that are simply disconnected."

"Yes but they'll be so focused on the fires and the wounded that they won't realise it until it's too late. We'll be long gone and in a few days' time, the Wraith will arrive."

Swiftly, Dallan walks over to the doorway and when the coast is clear, beckons for them to follow. As groups, they file out the room into the corridor.

"I'll stay in radio contact... Until we meet again."

* * *

Silently, the front door of Damian's house opens, revealing a mist-free scenery. The occupants come to a stand-still, all peering at the open door with wide eyes. When it slowly closes again, a figure appears in the main room.

A shocked McKay bursts out, "Seriously! Could you _stop_ doing that?"

A playful smile lifts up the corners of Eva's lips as she asks, "Who did you think I was?" Chuckling, she supplies a suggestion, "Maybe a transparent Shifter?"

"It's not funny."

"Invisible Shifters don't exist."

In unison, they turn in Damian's direction, puzzled expressions evident.

"What? It's true."

Shadow approaches the Shifter and offers her hand. He shakes it, then releases it again, a grin curling his lips.

 _So this is the spy Leta spoke about and gave her life for. It's indeed an honour. Ha, and you know who I am too, don't you, Eva Sitwell?_

"How do you feel?"  
"It's strange to be… normal. It's both frightening and exhilarating - but it's also going to take a while to get used to."

"Has McKay informed you about the turn of events?" He nods in response. "Good. Can you persuade Elena to take our offer, now that you know how it feels to be 'human'?"

He ponders this for a while before he speaks again, saying: "It may be possible but I can't guarantee full co-operation. Dallan has many loyal followers."

McKay approaches from behind and takes stand next to Damian as he says, "We have compelling evidence that tells us that you were part of those who saved that lab."

A sadness washes over him at the mention of Lenora but he hides it from them as he says in reply: "I know and I'm thankful you figured it out... but it won't be enough. You'll have to back it up by demonstrating the power you now have over us. You need to get Dallan here in one piece."

"Understood. Is there any way we can contact my people? We've been out of the loop for a few hours now."

McKay puts in, "You still have the relay device on Romas?"  
"Yes, we do."  
"That's great. It means I can change the relay device to send a signal straight to the Daedalus from here."

Shadow walks over to the Telcan duo, taking up her position next to Samoa.

"Get it done, McKay. We need to know what's going on."

Rodney nods in approval as he accesses his laptop.

Damian gazes at the trio, then at the window. The urge to tell another secret promises to spill out of him. Shadow notices the change in the Shifter's behaviour.

Eva, right hand on her side-arm, says cautiously, "You're hiding something important from us. Your demeanour and eyes are a dead give-away. What aren't you telling us?"

There's an awkward silence in the room, as McKay is the only one not focusing on Lyon. Shadow's left hand moves to her other side-arm. This wears down the nerves of the 'reborn' Shifter.

The once-tough mercenary squirms and quickly says, "Whoa, hang on a minute."

Samoa and Eloisa take defensive positions next to Eva, hands on swords, "Just wait okay! I was about to come clean. Dallan along with eight Shifters has crippled Atlantis by disconnecting all the power sources _and_ their communications."

"Yes, we know that."  
"What you don't know is that he plans to detonate bombs in the city's living quarters. They are uniquely designed with two triggers, one to make them explode, then a second to release fire…"

Shock overwhelms Shadow, as a memory of Lenora's destruction flashes before her eyes and she whispers, "Fire rain…"

This catches the attention of Samoa and Damian.

 _You were there? How could you have been there? Leta promised me, she would steer you clear._ Damian thinks.

"Yes." He allows for a pause to calm things down before he continues with, "Dallan is going to leave Atlantis in flames so that the coming Wraith can further destroy it... _permanently_."

* * *

On-board the Daedalus, in the F302 Hanger Bay, Sheppard and his teams' survivors, prepare themselves for the search.

Of Lt. Colonel Lorne's team, Lorne, along with two marines, came out of it unscathed. The additional four members are currently in the Infirmary. Of Major Garrett's team, his Captain, a Lieutenant and another Captain made it out. Three members were beamed directly to the infirmary. Major Wilson's team makes up a total of fifteen men, who have been split up into three teams.

When the men finish gearing up, Sheppard addresses the teams: "We know that Dallan is going after the generators before he bombs the civilian quarters. Due to the power outage, the trapped men and women can't escape. The Daedalus has beamed down the necessary personnel to deal with those trapped inside. Our main goal is to stop him from going after the remaining generators and the Z.P.M.'s. Intel suggests he's not operating alone. How many are assisting him is still unclear. This places us in a difficult position, we have no way of knowing when and where the next strike will take place. Therefore, I've divided you into three teams of five. Each team will be beamed down to their positions. Keep in mind you are the line of defence standing in the way of those Shifters. If they succeed, we'll lose the city completely."

He pauses as determined expressions greet him in response to this, with confidence streaming from each individual. They know what's at stake.

He turns his gaze to Wilson and his team, then says, "Major Wilson, you'll be joining my team. You don't mind if I place Colonel Lorne in charge of your team? I believe your second will be able to help him? Since your team is 'Shifter Special Forces', they'll be able to operate with another leader." A wry smile curls his lips, for their name is meant sarcastically.

There is a slight grin on the Major's lips as he turns towards his second, a 6ft tall, well-built man with short, blond hair and a beard. Although armed with a side-arm tranquillizer gun, he also has a Rapier (Spanish in appearance) and dagger set strapped to his left hip.

"Do you mind, Haku? It seems they can't do without me."  
"Not at all, Kyle, it will be my pleasure."

A friendly exchange passes between the two men before they move over to their assigned C.O.s.

As it so happens, Sheppard sees the exchange between them. He moves towards Kyle and inquires, "He's not of our military personnel, is he?"

With a chuckle, the Major responds with, "No, definitely not." A surprised expression appears on Sheppard's face, as doubt tenses up his jaw.

Kyle notices the sudden change in behaviour and quickly backs up his answer by adding, "He's Military Commander to Samoa, leader of the Telcans."  
"Samoa? Telcans?"

 _Oh yes, I forgot, Sheppard doesn't know the names of our ally. Sheesh, now I'm left to inform him, as eminent danger lurks._

"They are the Daedalus's allies. They unknowingly had a Shifter amongst them. Shadow helped them to fight off the Shifter and in turn, they offered their planet as our home-base. Samoa is their leader… and Shadow's husband."

 _There you go, concise, yet precise. Poor man is confused. I really want to tell you all there is to know - but shall we get a move on now?_

Wilson's thoughts, in addition to Sheppard's, are interrupted by Major Lisa's voice via the intercom.

"Teams, be ready to be beamed to your positions in t-minus two minutes."

"Please be advised, Bridge: change in beaming co-ordinates for Major Wilson and Lt Colonel Lorne. The Major will be joining my team and Lorne will be sent with Haku."

"Duly acknowledged, Colonel Sheppard. Standby for beaming."

"All right, heads up, guys. We're going down."

"Beaming will commence in five, four, three, two and... one."

A few seconds later, the teams are sent to their different co-ordinates, about 500ft from each power source location. Three C.O.s give orders to their units, telling them to fan out and cover their sixes.

Separately, they progress down corridors and through bulkheads towards their intended targets. Everything is silent, too silent for the leaders' liking. Something is uncannily wrong.

Colonel Sheppard thrusts his right fist into the air, signalling for his team to halt. Major Wilson steals a glance at his C.O.

 _Something is wrong... He can sense it too. Everything is so quiet here, while the city screams in agony on the other side._

The members crouch down, with two covering the rear, as the rest cover the sides and front. Sheppard gazes about the area.

 _I don't know what's going on but it feels like we're walking right into a trap. I can't seem to figure out from which side it will come though. If we progress, we'll find ourselves in the middle of a hexagon area, with three bulkheads. I'll place my men in harm's way if I do so. Three open doors and a high ceiling... The very same kind of area I attacked those Jenney soldiers in a few years back._

He turns to Ronin and Tyla, then whispers, "There's an open area up ahead. I want you to release smoke grenades to provide cover for us. We'll meet you there in a minute's time."

In reply, they nod, then stealthily move off, disappearing around the left corner.

The Colonel checks his watch as thirty seconds are up. He signals for the rest to fall in behind him.

They're about to move around the corner, when suddenly, without warning, a huge explosion goes off, sending a shock wave in all directions. As the wave hits, Sheppard's team is thrown to the ground, rendering them unconscious.

The Colonel's head connects with the opposite wall as he's flung against it. Lights flicker around them, then slowly go dark, one-by-one, leaving the men and woman in total blackness.


	26. Chapter 26

**_"Dallan is going to leave Atlantis in flames so that the coming Wraith can destroy it. Permanently."_**

Silence descends upon the group as the new information sinks in. Dr Rodney McKay is the first person to break it as he says, "No, I don't believe you. Atlantis has deep space sensors that can detect the Wraith Hive ships coming weeks in advance. If they were coming, Atlantis would have known about it by now."  
"You're right Rodney but don't forget who Dallan is." He pauses, then points at him, "You."

McKay's startled by this.

 _He can manipulate the sensors and mask the Wraith's ships. That's what I would have done. Atlantis won't know what hit them until it's too late._

Defeated, he says, "I agree, he'll have manipulated the sensors to conceal the ships' signatures. No one will be any the wiser. They'll go after Earth's location first, then destroy the city."

A depressed mood hangs over the group, though Shadow lightens it with her next words, "Yet, we still have something Dallan does not. We have the Daedalus, an army on Telcan and now, we have the co-operation of Elena's new Commander."

Surprise registers around the room, as Shadow turns to McKay and says, "Once the relay device is finished and the message has been delivered to the Daedalus, initiate the new formula and transfer it to the Shifters on Elena."

Then, she turns to Samoa and Eloisa and says, "Gate through to Telcan and gather our army. When ready, Gate back to Elena. There will be several minutes when they will be immobile as the code is altered back to its original state. This is when you'll gather up Dallan's loyal followers."

Lastly, she turns her gaze on Damian as she tells him, "You'll provide safe passage for my companions as they proceed through to their destination. When the army arrives, you'll show them who the traitors are and in return, they'll provide protection for you _and_ those who surrender."

There's a slight delay, as everyone takes in the orders given by their leader.

Shadow looks back at a shell-shocked McKay. "I want you to figure out why the Atlantis Gate is not operational. You'll send those details and solutions, along with our message, to the Daedalus. You and I will be Gating through to Atlantis to end Dallan's crusade. Understand?"

As she takes in the varying expressions of the group, shock and surprise at this new-found confidence is reflected back at her.

They just don't know what she has had to endure to be able to be so confident in her leadership abilities.

A livid Damian is the first to respond when he says, "Who do you think you are? You give orders and expect me to follow them like a good soldier."  
"Don't forget the position you are in, Damian. With the press of a button, your whole nation will become 'human'. Your so-called immortality will be nothing but a memory."  
"How dare you come here and threaten our way of life?" Anger and frustration lace his next accusation: "It's _your_ kind who started this."

Eva replies with the same fierceness, "It's our kind who gave life to you. We're offering freedom and peace and with them, allies. Dallan made you a threat. Who would you have been, if Dallan didn't use power and manipulation? Why did you protect that lab to save your kind? Answer those questions for me, then you'll realise we're for you, not against you."

"You've got a strange way of showing it."

"Yes, I made the decision for you but if I didn't, you would never have agreed to it. What Dallan did was give you a safety-net. We've given you a glimpse of what it is to live a real life, not a fake one... Which do you prefer?"

He ponders this for a short while, before answering in a low tone, "When you put it that way..."

"The Ancients made a mistake, yes but they still gave you a planet and a life to live. One small seed of your existence was left behind and Dallan took that seed and turned it into a weed that only he could control. He just didn't realise that our kind's hidden strengths, however small, are mercy and compassion. Lyon, to put it plainly: the Ancients wanted a weapon to defeat the Wraith with. Dallan achieved this goal. Now you have the opportunity to give your kind: freedom, peace _and_ new friends to share it with. You can avoid what happened on Lenora."

He's speechless.

 _She is really for us - but why?_

Eva walks over to him and grabs his shoulders, forcing him to look up into her eyes, genuineness and a sense of justice are reflected in them.

"What do you see, Damian? A woman who lusts for power, who wants to deceive you? Or someone who wishes to save you?"

 _Leta... you possess the same qualities as her. You're like-minded. We were right to choose you as our redeemer._

They're interrupted by beeping coming from McKay's laptop.

Damian quickly whispers the above into her ear before they turn their attention to Rodney.

McKay, calm and collected, addresses Shadow: "The relay has been recalibrated, which means we can communicate directly with the Daedalus. I'll start with finding possible ways to get the Gate back online. I suggest that you send your representatives through immediately to gather the army. I'll be done by the time they are ready to come through again."

Samoa and Eloisa move towards the front door but they are intercepted by Damian. This causes them to draw their swords in defense.

"Relax, guys, just here to escort you safely to the Gate."

They gaze at Eva, who nods her consent. The trio then silently leave the house and disappear along the hidden path that leads to the Gate, thus leaving McKay and Shadow alone in the main room.

McKay is concentrating on working out a solution, whilst trying to push away the authority Eva displayed earlier on.

 _She's so quiet but when someone needed to take charge, she went for it. Like a second skin suddenly revealed under pressure. No one disobeyed her either, except for Damian, who protested, yet finally saw things from her perspective._

 _I wonder who she really is and why she is in this Galaxy. What is she really fighting for? Who is she hiding behind that shell of hers? Even her husband and sister-in-law silently obey her. One massive sense of respect going on there. Interestingly enough, it has rubbed off on me as well. I guess I'll need it for when we go after Dallan._

* * *

\- Atlantis, 07:00 a.m. -

Caldwell and Woolsey enter the Bridge. The General heads for his chair in the centre and expectantly says, "Status report, Major Lisa! What is going on down there?"

"There was another explosion, General. It wasn't one of the target points Colonel Sheppard and his team where sent to. It hit right underneath the Control Room. Fire has now spread to the lower level."

A stunned Woolsey bursts out, " _What?_ We need to beam people down to stop the fire. The Control Tower needs to stay intact, my people are in there."

Anger stirs within the General as he listens to the news. He shares a stern gaze with Woolsey, who is near the Bridge's bulkhead, then he turns to the Major again.

"Beam the remaining members in the Control Room over to the Infirmary. When you're done, send down soldiers to assess the situation, so that the necessary precautions can be taken. I expect no delays, Major. Get it done!"  
"Yes, General!"

Ten minutes later, a message shows on Major Lisa's console.

"General, we have a message from Agent Shadow and Dr McKay."

Surprise registers on his face at the news.

"Oh? Please read it."

"The message reads: 'We're on Elena and have apprehended Damian. Negotiations have been set into motion and the new formula has been transferred over to the Shifters. Telcan army has been mobilized to capture Dallan's forces, along with those who are resistant. Damian is now new Commander of Elena.' End of message."

There's a silence as the men look at each other, thinking something along the same lines.

They're interrupted by the Major saying, "General Caldwell, we have another incoming message. It reads: 'There are Wraith Ships (amount unknown) on the way to destroy Atlantis. Dallan plans to leave before then after the bombing is done. Atlantis won't pick up the signatures due to his tampering with sensors. We estimate a day to two days until they arrive.' End of message."

Before the General can respond another message comes through: "Incoming message, Sir. It reads: 'Daedalus, we have sent through solutions to get the Gate online. We request to come through once the right solution is applied. Dallan will be captured and detained by us to be destroyed. We ask that no further resources be used to go after him, yet to focus on containing all damaged areas, fires and Wraith.' End of message"

Caldwell feels dazed.

 _She's accomplished more than what was expected of her. We have Damian on his knees, a whole Shifter planet humanized and Dallan's forces detained by our army. What a relief! It seems it's going better there than here. Speaking of here…_

"Major Lisa, send those solutions through to our technicians. They need to set it into motion ASAP. Beam out Sheppard's team to the infirmary. I don't care where they are or what they're doing. Get them out _now!"  
_ "Yes, General."  
"Relay the message to the other two teams to carry on with their objective. I want those Shifters captured."

He addresses a man opposite Major Lisa, "Major, find those Wraith. We need to seek them out and destroy them before they do us. Understand?"

"Yes, General."

"General, Colonel Sheppard's team has been beamed to the Infirmary - they're all unconscious. Dr Lloyd presumes that they were caught in the shock wave and estimates it'll be another ten minutes before they wake up. He'll keep us apprised."

"Thank you, Major. Once Colonel Sheppard is up and about, they'll be in charge of the Gate's operation to receive Agent Shadow and Dr McKay."  
"Affirmative, Sir. We have another incoming message in from Colonel Lorne. He says they've detained three Shifters and is requesting to be beamed up. He then requests to join Major Garrett's team."  
"Good, request granted. Proceed, Major."  
"Yes, Sir."

* * *

\- 07:30, a.m. -

 _Ah, my head hurts! Man, what happened?_

He looks about the room, discovering as he does so that he is in the Infirmary, before he closes his eyes again as the light becomes too bright for them to bear.

After a while, Sheppard moves his head to feel if the pain has subsided. When he feels more stable, he slowly opens his eyes. A surprised expression crosses his features when his team, along with Wilson, look at him, smiles clearly evident.

"What happened?"

Tyla speaks first, concern evident in her voice, "Another explosion went off."

" _What?"_

Wilson proceeds with the explanation, "Yes but it was a few levels underneath the Control Room and not one of the intended targets."  
"That's comforting. Why does my head hurt?"

Ronin takes a moment to speak, then says, "The shockwave sent us flying. Apparently you hit your head against the wall and have a minor concussion."  
"Oh… it doesn't feel minor to me. Anyway, any news? Must be a reason why we're here and not down there chasing bad guys."

"I think the concussion is partly why we're here, Sheppard." Wilson gets a glare from the Colonel before he continues to fill him in on the latest details.

A few minutes pass by before Sheppard raises his upper body into a sitting position and says, "We've got to get down there."

"Hang on there, cowboy. We've been ordered to receive McKay and Shadow when they Gate through. Then and only then, we'll be involved in bringing down Dallan."  
"But what about his intentions right now? The longer we wait, the more time he has to blow the remaining generators and take the Z.P.M's."

Ronin butts in, frustration lacing his every word, "I know, that's what I told them. We need to be down there, instead of up here waiting for our saviours to appear. We've been fighting battles longer than them."  
"Chill, Chewie, I don't agree with it either - but orders are orders."

"Yeah and why is it that we're taking them from _her_? Honestly, what experience does she have in this part of the Galaxy."  
"I'll have you know that she outranks everyone on this Expedition..."

Ronin tilts his head in Wilson's direction, "So what? If I'm to go into battle, will I follow the rookie who ranks above everyone in experience? Or will I go into battle with my leader being one who I have seen in action, the one whom I can trust?"

"I agree with Ronin. Although I briefly met Eva and I admit that she's a fine warrior, I have no idea who she really is, nor do I know whether or not she can be trusted... I want to be certain that I'm following the right person into battle."

"I happen to agree with you, Tyla and Ronin, but… McKay trusts her and is following her. For me personally, we should show that we trust him by trusting her. This whole situation is strange and dangerous. Both McKay and Shadow know this enemy better than we do. So far we've done everything we can to defend our home but it still has not been enough. They've brought a whole race to their knees in just a few hours. We need them just as much as they need us."


	27. Chapter 27

**_08:00 a.m._**

The sound of the Gate's locking mechanisms echoes around the poorly lit Gate Room. As they engage, their blue light reflects on the welcoming committee.

A few seconds pass by before the incoming travellers step through and are left facing daylight as it filters through the Control Room windows. Flashlights come on one-by-one from all directions, looking like stars flickering in the night sky. When the last reveals its light, smiles appear on Shadow and McKay's faces.

Suddenly, McKay is enveloped by three figures, while Shadow is hugged by another figure. The moment carries on for a minute before the figures break the silence.

"…It's so good to see you."  
"Welcome back, buddy…"  
"Yeah, great to have you back."

A stunned McKay says in reply to his friend's delighted outbursts, "You missed me that much? As I recall, I hadn't really left." A teasing, sarcastic smile curls his lips.

Sheppard is the first to respond, saying, "Saw you like a few hours ago, then you were trying to kill us - but we forgive you."  
"Yeah, sorry about that. Don't know what came over me. It's just so thrilling for a best friend to start bombing the place, you know."  
"Yeah, that's the McKay we know." Ronin says with a wry smile and slap to the shoulder

Eva and Kyle gaze at the exchange between the team, smiles evident as laughter echoes around the empty Gate Room. It feels so right for them to connect again.

Shadow clears her throat to draw attention. In unison, they turn in her direction. Sheppard nods for her to speak.

"So, hi there…" She smiles brightly at them before asking, "What's the news this side of the Gate?"

"People are still trapped in various places about the city, but, according to damage assessment, most have been relocated to safe zones in the previously flooded sections. Sixty percent of the fires have been contained, including the one, few levels beneath us. As you can see, the Control Room is still down. Lt. Colonel Lorne and Major Garrett have been chasing down the Shifter soldiers and have captured five so far. We don't know how many are left along with Dallan. Two generators and the Z.P.M.s remain possible targets…"

Before the Colonel can finish his briefing, a distant thundering sound interrupts him, followed shortly by Major Lisa's voice filtering into their earpieces, "Colonel Sheppard, another bomb has exploded. Location: generator in the south-eastern part of the city. No causalities."

"Affirmative, Major, we're on our way."

A confused McKay asks, "What's going on?"

Sheppard walks over to Shadow, hands her an earpiece and radio and hands one to McKay. Whilst they place their radios where proper, he informs them about what's happened.

Shadow stares at the ground, thinking about the situation. _We need to split up and approach the Z.P.M. room from two different sides._

She looks at Sheppard, then walks over to him, handing him one of her side-arms. Then she hands her other one to Ronin. Both men's brows furrow in confusion but disappear once she informs them of her plan, as Wilson hands his extra weapon to her and McKay his to Tyla.

"The gun is loaded with unique tranquillizers. Once shot, the Shifter will be humanized. It takes about ten minutes for the transformation to take place."

Confusion reigns again so Shadow adds, "A sedative is released at the same time so they'll be incoherent during that time. I suggest we split up and approach the remaining power source from both sides."

Sheppard takes a look at the darts within the gun's magazine, "Cool…" He slips it back into place, then looks at her, saying, "Yes, I agree with you. It will be best if we split up. So it's Ronin, Wilson, Tyla and myself; you and McKay."

"Correct. Take the stairs down and we'll take the corridors. I believe McKay will be able to open the doors just enough for us to pass through."

In the corner of her eye, she sees a grin curl McKay's lips and thinks: _He's back - and in his element! Nice._

"Once more thing, Sheppard: Dallan… when you come across him. It's shoot to sedate. McKay and I have another tranquillizer in mind for him." She ends the sentence with stern dislike.

* * *

Mr Woolsey and General Caldwell are patiently waiting in the conference room for news on the Wraith, anxiously awaiting news on the latest attack.

Apparently, no citizens have been injured in the latest bombing but fear of the fire spreading to essential areas keeps them either pacing or trying to frantically find other means with which to distract themselves from what is happening around them. For the moment, there is nothing they can do but worry and allow Shadow and Sheppard to somehow end this destruction.

Both of their heads jerk up when Major Lisa's voice briefs them via the intercom, saying: "Bridge to General Caldwell, we've tracked down the Wraith. It's one Hive headed for Atlantis. Arrival time: t-minus 24 hours. We've tracked its course, it will make a stop within the next two hours. Awaiting further orders. Major Lisa out."

Woolsey takes a seat at one end of the Conference table, whilst Caldwell stays seated in his. He's the first to respond.

"We know their location. Now the question is: what are we going to do about it?"  
"We have to intercept and destroy them as soon as possible. If they get wind of this, they'll send more reinforcements."

"So you think this Hive is on its way to investigate?"

"I think so, yes. You have to remember that they are kind of divided. With Michael and the Wraith Todd forming their own separate groups, their trust amongst each other has encountered, uh, difficult footing."  
"Between a rock and a hard place?" Woolsey nods.

"Okay, so we leave the city without defense to intercept the Wraith? Then we destroy them and hopefully, return to a less chaotic Atlantis than we're leaving behind."  
"Sounds about right to me."

Caldwell vacates his seat, stopping midway alongside the table. He gazes down at Woolsey, who is sitting with his hands on the table, his fingers intertwined.

"Say we do this, there is no coming back... Earth has no idea what is happening at the moment. That means, no back-up is coming. Telcan, our only protection if the Daedalus doesn't succeed in this mission, has an army on Elena. That Hive will come and destroy everything. Do you understand that our decision now could have serious consequences later on?"

"I do, yes - but if we don't do this, we'll lose our element of surprise. Whereas, if we go now, they'll never see us coming. Wait here and they'll attack us and the city - and you know as well as I that the city is incapable of fighting back or defending itself. If we let the Telcans know what is happening, they - and maybe Elena too - can send through soldiers to help protect the city when the Daedalus is incapable of destroying the Wraith."

The General ponders this for a while, then agrees to the plan."Okay, we'll do it your way. We just need to inform Colonel Sheppard and Agent Shadow of the new developments."

Woolsey gets up and adjusts his glasses, saying: "They're more than capable of handling this situation. They are, after all, an elite team that can take down a formidable enemy. I'm sure Shadow and Sheppard will succeed... We just need to do our bit by eliminating the Wraith."

"I agree. I'll tell the Bridge to convey the message to all the parties concerned, then we can set out to intercept the Hive Ship. I really hope for your sake that this risk pays off."

* * *

Sheppard, Wilson, Ronin and Tyla descend the stairs on their way from the Z.P.M. room. Stealthily, they progress onto the intended level, covering each other, even their blind spots. With guns raised, awaiting any Shifter that might jump out and surprise them.

Meanwhile, Shadow and McKay stand amidst the Control Room's consoles. McKay is typing away on his laptop as Shadow patiently waits. She decides to quietly disturb him after a time.

"Do you think you can access the intercom?"  
"I don't know. Only basic systems are accessible. I'm trying to sync my laptop with the console to manipulate the system into thinking the intercom is basic, not primary."  
"Like what they did with the Gate?"

"Yes," McKay hisses, then calmly forces himself to say, "Yes, yes, that's what I'm trying to do but I can't concentrate properly if you keep talking." A stern expression crossed his features.

She shrugs an apology and stares down at the Gate from the tiny balcony. McKay's typing is the only thing that breaks the silence.

 _It's unnatural standing around here, knowing men and women are yelling in pain while it's so peaceful up here. It's even more disturbing knowing that Dallan is out there, free to do as he pleases._

A shiver runs down her spine at the thought. It's short-lived because McKay shouts out his success. She turns around only to be greeted by a genius' smirk. She smiles brightly at his accomplishment. He's stunned at how beautiful she really is for a moment but then, he quickly turns their attention back to the job at hand by clearing his throat.

"Um, yes. We can communicate with Dallan wherever he is within the city."

She leaves her position on the balcony and approaches him, saying, "Good. Patch me through. Let's see if we can draw him into our trap. You have let Sheppard in on the plan?"

He nods 'yes' as he gestures for her to convey the message.

 **"** **Dallan, your planet has now become a humanized one. All your loyal followers have been detained and Damian elected as Elena's new Commander. He, too, is human now. The Daedalus is on its way to destroy the Wraith Hive Ship. Everything you hoped to accomplish has been prevented. The power you claimed to have has been dismantled, rendering this pursuit of yours fruitless. You have nowhere to go and no army to command. I suggest you surrender so that we can talk about your future in a civil manner... in spite of all the destruction you've caused."** There is a hint of anger at the last phrase.

Silence settles across the city as they wait for a reply. When one fails to come, after a few minutes, Eva continues with:

 **"** **We have the means to humanize you or to destroy you. If you don't comply within the hour, we'll be forced to come after you and eliminate you."**

She pauses to check up on Sheppard's progress, then continues, **"We have the Z.P.M.s in our possession and have placed the last generator under guard. You're in check, buddy, it's your move."**

McKay decides to make himself known: **"I'd listen to her if I were you, Dallan. She's known to fulfil her promises."** He can't help but tease and smile simultaneously as he says, **"To those who are with Dallan, we'll spare your lives if you surrender. You don't have to follow him unto death. We'll give you safe passage to Elena once you submit. Speak now or forever hold your peace."**

Static noise fills their ears, followed by Sheppard whispering, "You think he'll take the bluff? If he is a mixture of McKay and this crazy arrogant low-life, he won't go down without a fight. No offense, Rodney."

"None taken. To be blunt, he won't give in, even more so now, because he knows that he's trapped." He sighs before he continues with, "I know he won't surrender. Knowing that he'll be tried by us, and then again by his own kind... that sentence will mean death. Which would you prefer? To go down fighting or be executed before the ones whom you led astray? Tough choice."

"Hang on, we've got movement. Sheppard out."

He crouches down, gun raised. Two Shifters appear around the corner, a few feet away from their position. Hands above their heads, signalling surrender. Sheppard and his entourage slowly move forward to meet them.

"Where's Dallan?"

The female Shifter, named Galla, replies, "He's not here. We split up a while back to blow up this generator. We have no idea where he is now."

The male Shifter, Kiernan, speaks, adding, "He knows he is beat, but will not give up. He'll fulfil his cause till the end. Dallan will rather die nobly than be executed with dishonour."

"Ah well, that's his choice."

Swiftly, he pulls the trigger hitting Galla with a tranquillizer, as Ronin does the same to Kiernan. Both simultaneously drop to the floor, giving Tyla the opportunity to drag Galla into the generator room,while Sheppard drags Kiernan.

Ronin activates his radio and informs McKay and Shadow.

Now only Dallan remains.

* * *

\- 08:45 a.m. -

"We have the Hive Ship on the radar, Sir. It's hidden behind the planet's moon, just north of our position."  
"Alert the crew - tell them we're entering into battle. Send out our F302s to attack their darts. Shields and weapons at the ready. Set a course for the moon, we'll be coming from the south. Sub-light engines at full speed. Once we're in range, target their hyper-drive engines with our Asgard beam."

As the General give his commands, 'Yes, Sir' rings throughout the Bridge.

About four minutes out, the Hive launches its Darts, meeting the F302s midway, ensuing in raging weapons fire. Behind them the mother ships move east, away from the small battle, to commence their own. On their first try, the Daedalus hits their hyper-drive engines, preventing the Hive from retreating.

As Rail gun fire is intercepted by darts, the Hive fires back, hitting the shield. In response, the Daedalus fires missiles, with two out of ten hitting the Hive, causing them to sustain minimal damage.

Lt. Colonel Lorne, in his F302, successfully manages to hit their engines, leaving them with no other option but to stay put, thus, forcing them to commence battle.

"We need to get through their defences, otherwise we'll keep hitting the Darts and not our intended target." Caldwell turns to the Lieutenant on his far left and says, "That Hive has nowhere to go. Inform Lorne to concentrate fire on their Dart Bay."

"Yes, Sir." The young man says in reply.

The General turns to his right and says, "Come about ninety degrees and fire the beam at their Bridge."

Within minutes, the Asgard's beam reflects blue light into the Bridge as it travels from the Daedalus and connects with the Hive. Its shield deflects the beam and the General orders it to be fired again.

"Continue until you break through."  
"Yes Sir."  
"Weapon's officer, keep assisting the F302s with the Rail Gun."  
"Yes, General."

Major Lisa's voice comes from his left, "Shields at forty-three percent, Sir."

Woolsey stares out at the battle, thinking: _We need to breakthrough, otherwise we'll be overrun. The shields will not hold for long. It has to be now or we'll need to get out of here._

He turns towards the General. There is a confidence in his stance and a determination in his eyes. Somehow, this spurs Woolsey on, reassuring him and making him believe that everything will be okay.

Caldwell's confidence is rewarded when a thundering sound causes Woolsey to turn back around only to see the Hive being blown to smithereens.

A smirk crosses Caldwell's lips as he turns to Major Lisa and says, "Finish those Darts, please, Major."

"Yes, Sir."

He turns to the young Lieutenant and queries, "Did they manage to send out a signal?"

Quickly the officer checks and then shakes his head at the General, a smile curling his lips, reflecting their victory.

"Good. Once the Darts have been taken care of, order the F302s to return. Then immediately set course for Atlantis."  
"Yes, General."

He joins Woolsey at the window, gazing at the display offered by the Darts and F302s.

* * *

 _Everything I have worked for has been shattered and tumbled down within the space of a few hours. I endured being an arrogant genius to outsmart my fellow Shifters and these idiots on Atlantis and then, here comes this Shadow spy and she destroys my rise to supreme power. How did I miss that? How could I not foresee this?_

McKay's arrogant personality kicks into full throttle, fuelling his already power-hungry character. He wants it to take control. The lust feels so good, surging through every vein, nerve and sinew. A feeling of invincibility slowly and methodically floods his mind, altering his body to submit to the pleasure it causes.

Dallan hits the wall in front of him, leaving a hole when he retracts his arm, shouts in frustration. The feeling of weakness and powerlessness he experienced in the cave caused by Shadow's invisibility, now surges along with the pleasure of power-lust.

"I'm going to kill you. You hear me, Eva? I'm going to kill you for meddling in my plans. You'll wish you were never sent here. COME AND GET ME! LET'S FINISH WHAT WE STARTED!"

"Wow, he's really ticked off. Can you pick up where the shouting is coming from?" Shadow turns to McKay as he types away on his laptop.

"Yeah, I think so... checking for any unusual activity. It's difficult to locate someone that cannot be detected by the life sign's detector."

He gazes up at her, as the laptop continues to scan for abnormalities. Something about Eva's manner is a tad off. She isn't her normal self.

To be honest, he doesn't know her that well when it comes to how she was when she got assigned to the Daedalus. He wonders if his team-mates can see a difference in him too. His train of thought is interrupted by the laptop's beeping.

 _Found him!_


	28. Chapter 28

The corridor is dark as Shadow and McKay progress through it. Major Wilson, Sheppard and his team were asked to escort the Shifters to the holding area and there await the Daedalus' arrival.

Since then, the duo has been scouting the area the laptop picked up the signal from. Shadow's silent as they walk, with McKay strolling slightly ahead of her, thoroughly scanning the area.

He glances back and sees that a focused expression lines her features. The task ahead outweighs companionship and all else going on around them.

Today is the day that Dallan will finally be captured. Today is the day that everything she was asked to do comes to an end. No more running, no more chasing - but who will she be when this adventure ends?

 _Who are you? Eva or Shadow? You've got this façade going on, but tell me, who the heck are you really? You chase down secrets and hidden criminals... A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. When you're the one who has the biggest hidden agenda... A chameleon, that's what you are. I wonder if even your husband knows the real you._

A voice tries to pierce through his thoughts... "McKay? You heard nothing I just said?"

He shakes his head, realising he's behind her now.

"Ah, apparently not. Sorry... could you repeat it? My mind was somewhere else."

Shadow giggles, embarrassing him further, before she says, "Trained by a mercenary, you say?" She lets the sarcastic answer settle in before continuing with, "Are you sure we're in the right place." He nods, "Okay, your assessment is what then? Because mine is that: it's a dead-end or we've walked right into a trap."

"To me, it's neither. It can be a fake reading too. I mean, it could have been anything really."

But something within Shadow stirs, making her think: _Nah, we're in the right place. He's here somewhere. There you go, McKay, move on ahead of me, so that you turn yourself into the bait as I activate my cloaking device. Sorry about this, Rodney, but I need the element of surprise, just like Dallan wants from his side._

Ten metres later, McKay rounds a corner.

"All right..." He spins around, only to find that he's completely alone.

Before he can respond, a fist connects with the right side of his jaw. He stumbles against the wall, losing his gun in the process.

 _Man, feels like a brick just collided with my face._

When Rodney looks to his right, a carbon copy of himself is reflected back at him.

"Dallan?"  
"Hi there."

He storms towards McKay, coming in with a right hook. Rodney successfully dodges the attack by side-stepping. He stays on the defence, as Dallan comes in with a frontal kick. Rodney counters it by stepping to his left and pushing Dallan against the opposite wall. A grunt echoes through the corridor.

"Come on! Stop playing around, McKay."  
"You're not going to draw me into this fight by antagonizing me, Dallan. Not gonna work!"

 _Where are you, Shadow?_

McKay's rigid, waiting for his doppelgänger to make the next move. The only thing he does, however, is grin from ear-to-ear. An uneasiness spills over McKay, sending a shiver down his spine.

 _He's gone crazy!_

Dallan moves in closer, his body positioned vertically. Rodney does the same, with his right hand raised slightly for protection. He waits patiently for the next onslaught.

Dallan rewards his patience by coming in with a right blow, which McKay blocks with his right upper arm. However, this exposes his frame, allowing for Dallan to ram his left fist into his abdomen.

This forces him to stumble back, making him bend over, his breathing shallow. Pain shoots up from underneath his ribcage but a smirk masks it. It's shattered within seconds, however, as the Shifter starts to laugh.

"What! Is that all you've got? All those years of training and this is what I get for it? You're pathetic, Rodney."

McKay teases him by saying, "Just warming up." He stretches up to his full height. "Shall we get on with this?"

This time Rodney comes in with a low left blow, which Dallan counters easily, but he fails to see McKay's right foot as it sweeps his legs out from beneath him. A thud soon follows, as the Shifter hits the ground. McKay backs away with a wry smile.

"One would think that, when fighting against yourself, you'd know what's coming. Yet, _you_ didn't train _me_ , it was your second-in-command. Ironic, don't you think?"  
"Don't flatter yourself McKay. One blow doesn't determine the outcome."

Dallan gets up and gazes at Rodney. The Shifter's expression reveals frustration and anger, yet there is something revealed behind his eyes, something that makes McKay cringe...

Before Dallan can attack, a kick to the back propels him forward. A blow to his left side follows and then, another to his stomach. Afterwards, he's thrown against the opposite wall. A groan soon follows as Dallan collapses to his knees.

Meanwhile, Rodney stares at the scene, confusion evident on his face. From his perspective, Dallan seems to be attacking himself - but when he sees the tranquillizer protruding from his back, McKay's expression lightens as understanding dawns upon his face.

"Shadow?"

He's answered by her disengaging the cloak and kicking the Shifter in the stomach.

"Good, kinda looked funny from my side. Thought his mind had... Anyway. So am I to assume it's _the_ tranquillizer lodged in his back?" She shakes her head, "Oh, really?"

Puzzled, he asks, "Why? I thought we're going to destroy him, not humanize him."

"I have something else in mind for him - and he's not human, just sedated."  
"What are you planning to do with him? You have him, destroy him. Get it over with." He finishes the sentence with his finger fixed on Dallan.

"I will... in due time. There are certain things he needs to answer for before his death sentence is carried out."  
"I don't understand your sense of mercy here. If I were in your position, I wouldn't have given him any room to wiggle."

"True, but you want to be the judge, jury and executioner, I understand that... but to kill a man out of revenge, that will not make up for the hurt that he has caused you or me for that matter. He deserves to suffer for the crimes he has committed."

Anger flares up within Rodney McKay. _She has some nerve..._

"Are you being serious now? Are you for real? 'Cause if I heard you correctly, it sounded like you were actually _defending_ him there. He's a threat, a massive threat - and a threat is something you eliminate, you don't toy around with it. We've shown the Wraith mercy before and it backfired on us. Hence, the hybrid Michael, who, I might add, is still causing us a lot of trouble. Get it over with - or I will!"

He is livid as he walks over to his weapon, picks it up and points it in the Shifter's direction.

Shadow stands in the gap between Shifter and astrophysicist.

"Get out of the way!"

She matches the volume of his shout with her own as she yells out, "NO! Not until you listen to me."

He's quiet, too angry to speak, his body is trembling, making the gun shake.

"Give me free passage to Lenora and I promise you that he'll pay for what he has done."  
"You're prolonging his death. Why? Can't you just finish the job at hand - or do you do this with all your missions? Procrastinate?"

She doesn't reply, her expression neutral.

He continues with, "Everyone has the same fate in mind for Dallan, except for _you_."

Not wanting to explain her reasoning for saving Dallan for another hour or so any further, Eva quickly grabs the side-arm Wilson gave her and shoots McKay in his right thigh. An excruciating shout erupts from Rodney, as he stumbles against the left wall. Blood seeps from the thorough wound.

"YOU. SHOT. ME?"

Ignoring his bellowing, she contacts Major Wilson via a separate radio channel,"Whiskey Tango Yankee. (Where are you)?"

A few seconds later, there's a whispered response, "Sierra Golf (Star Gate)."  
"Secure?"  
"Yes."

"Dallan is sedated, McKay's wounded..." She walks over to the murmuring Doctor, flips the weapon around in her hand, and then slams the butt-end against his head before adding, "And unconscious. I'll be there in five. Daedalus's arrival time?"

"Ten minutes."

She walks over to the Shifter and hefts him up, like a firefighter."Woolsey?"

"On-board."

"Damian and Samoa?"

"Informed."

"Good. Dial the Gate in two minutes. Make McKay's position known to Sheppard as I arrive."  
"Affirmative."

* * *

\- Lenora -

 _A day later_

Ash and dust swirls around the Shifter, as he wakes up on coarse sand. It makes Dallan cough, which only forces him to inhale more of the dirt mixture and this fuels the coughing even more.

Finally, when the coughing stops, he forces himself to sit in an upright position, with his legs crossed in front of him and as he tries to do so, he realises his hands are tied behind his back.

With eyes closed and head down, a wicked grin spreads across his lips. It turns into laughter, which sends a shiver down his spectators' spines.

His eyelids open, revealing to him his audience, who are standing a few feet away. To his left, stand Samoa, Eloisa and Damian, whilst, to his right, Woolsey and Major Wilson and across from him, Shadow and General Caldwell.

He thoroughly gazes at the men and women standing in front of him before he speaks in a low tone, his voice laced with enough venom to kill an entire company of men, "My, my... What a pleasure to be looked upon by my enemies! It was the other way around when I imagined it in my mind... How ironic!"

He stares at Shadow and sarcastically says, "Well done! By being a shadow and thus outsmarting a genius, you have proven to be a worthy opponent. Congrats!"

He then turns his attention on Damian and says, "And you - you were the best Second, any Commander would fight to have you. It's too bad your loyalty was insincere... I hope Command serves you well."

Dallan searches through the rest. Noticing his doppelgänger's absence, he asks, "Where's Dr Rodney McKay? I thought he'd be here after everything I've done to him. He should have the satisfaction of doing whatever you're about to do with me, should he not? He's never going to forgive you for this... this little gathering around his enemy, around someone who invaded his life and left him in the hands of a ruthless mercenary - or so I thought. You're not being fair to the poor man. He can't dish out any justice or dispel his hatred upon me. Shame on you! You've depriv-"

His last sentence is interrupted by a blow to the back of the head. A grunt follows, but it is stifled somewhat by the passing wind. Nothing and no one stirs, except for the ash and dust around the Shifter, who is sitting on the sand, bent over and shaking from laughter. It is a disturbing scene, reminding them of an old Western movie.

Dallan's eyes are closed, as he straightens his back, a smirk evident."You've deprived the man, kept him from fulfilling his destiny!"

Out of the corner of his left eye, he sees a figure appear, after which time a fist connects with his jaw. Dallan falls over onto his side.

Within seconds, he's sitting up again and the smirk still hasn't left his lips.

"It was worth all those lives, if only to smear McKay's name in it. Every time his face is looked upon, the victims will flash before your eyes. All the memories of those trapped people, memories of fires burning behind retreating figures... all you'll see is devastation, not your best friend. When he wants to save you, he'll remember the destruction I've caused in his name and the expressions upon your faces."

" _Enough_!" An angry voice shouts out behind him.

"Ah... finally he makes his appearance."

One-by-one, figures appear before his peripheral view, joining the others in front of him and in so doing, revealing: Sheppard, Tyla and Ronin but one he is hoping to see stays well-concealed, somewhere behind him.

Their expressions reveal relief at the fact that this is over, yet there is a hint of resentment. It fuels the Shifter's sense of satisfaction even more.

In front of them is the face of a man they respect and care for and yet, they are about to destroy him, leaving them with another man, the real man, whose face has been tainted by death and destruction.

Dallan may not have had the chance to defeat them and rule the Galaxy, but knowing he'll still cause McKay pain till the end of his days is enough to satisfy his power-lust.

He closes his eyes and then bows his head, saying, "I have nothing left to say. Do as you wish."

Agent Shadow steps forward, along with Woolsey, Damian and her husband, Samoa. In unison, they study the Shifter down upon the sand.

She's the first to speak as she says, "Good, 'cause really, you were starting to annoy me. Shall we get on with it? For the crimes committed against Earth, Atlantis, Elena and Telcan, we, as representatives, sentence you to live on Lenora from whence you came, which will be your home until the appropriate time of death. The Gate's crystals will be removed, restricting access to and from other planets. Any sign of ships in the vicinity will be monitored by Telcan, Elena and Atlantis and will either be re-directed or destroyed. You'll have no contact with anyone or anything. The necessary supplies shall be left with you but none that can be used to save yourself or create more of your kind. Understood?

There is no response but for his smile, which disappears as his face twists in anger.

 _WHAT?_

"Anything useful on this planet has been removed, including the lab that aided us in your capture. You thought the Ancients were bad, but when you compare what they did to the sentence we've given you, you'll see that we're worse. Living every day alone on a desert planet knowing you were defeated by us, with those countless deaths hanging over your head... I think it's way worse than the instant death you so desire or the empty words you basically spat at your counterpart. He may not like it now, but later on he'll realise that your sentence outweighs everything he has ever had to endure."

She looks up, past the Shifter at the aforementioned man. Rodney's head is bowed in anger and in frustration.

 _Not too happy with what I did or with this decision, but he'll soon see the light. He just needs time... and that I can manage._

The next words are directed at McKay: "It's not the same and we can't possibly understand what he suffered during his capture, yet I know what it's like to endure pain for so long before finally getting my revenge... and believe me it's not worth it because the void can never be filled."

Rodney's head shoots up at this declaration but Dallan beats him to it, saying: "How sweet and how sad at the same time. I'm sure it's lovely a story - but I'd prefer it if you kill me now before this boring conversation and pending punishment do."

Those assembled around Dallan are silent, their expressions neutral. General Caldwell joins the representatives and says, "I think everything that was needed to be said has been conveyed now... It's time leave him to his own demise and go."

He taps his earpiece as he signals for Sheppard to remove the Shifter's restraints.

A few seconds later, the delegation is beamed on-board the Daedalus, which immediately sets a course for Atlantis, leaving a livid, screaming Dallan alone in the scorching sun.

#### #### ####

Thank you for joining the adventure. I have one last chapter left, then the story is completed.

There's another one on it's way that will fill in the gap between Chapter 8 and 9 of Agent Shadow called: Agent Shadow _Hostage Rescue._

If you liked this one make sure to look out for the second story.

A pleasure to have shared it with you,

Regards


	29. Chapter 29

This is it! The last Chapter of Agent Shadow.

Tune in at the end of the month for Agent Shadow, Hostage Rescue, which will be a crossover with SG-1.

#### #### #### ####

 ** _Atlantis_**

 _A month later_

Atlantis was almost back to full strength, having suffered at the hands of Dallan. The damaged areas had, with the help of their new allies, Telcan and Elena, been fully repaired. A large ceremony was being held for the three-fold alliance's fallen companions.

On Elena, Shifters went on as if the core power struggle had never happened. Seventy percent of Dallan's loyal followers had submitted to the new Commander without protest, whilst ten percent of them were already following Damian. The remaining twenty percent had asked to be destroyed rather than obey the new regime.

Elena had signed a treaty with Telcan and Atlantis, declaring peace and offering assistance to both parties when necessary, the same was true of Atlantis and Telcan. They were now for and not against each other.

Telcan offered to remain as Daedalus' home-base. Woolsey, however, had declined the offer and asked that they become an Beta Site instead. Those assigned to the Daedalus were given the choice to either stay on Telcan and remain in-service or to carry on as if the threat had never happened. Surprisingly enough, all personnel requested permission to stay, as they had become close friends with those on Telcan. With the President's final approval, their request was granted.

The President was shocked, to say the least, by all the developments that had taken place in the space of a few months. He was still worrying about the Hostage fiasco, a Shifter foothold situation, at the S.G.C. a year and half before when Caldwell requested that Shadow be integrated into Atlantis's population. The next thing he knew, the threat had been contained and easily dealt with.

It was astounding, the work the team he had sent to extract valuable information, had done, simultaneously, they had managed to confront and contain an unknown threat.

In a private ceremony, attended by Atlantis' flagship team, Mr Woolsey, the Daedalus' crew along with Samoa and the President's team, were awarded the 'Medal of Honour' for their valour and for going above and beyond the call of duty, along with it, they were awarded a 'Presidential Unit Citation' medal for successfully accomplishing their mission under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions.

Dr Rodney McKay was awarded the 'Presidential Medal of Freedom', for an especially meritorious contribution to the security and national interests of the United States. What's more, the Air Force even awarded him with an 'Air Force Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service' for his bravery and unprecedented achievements in aiding A.F. personnel.

Eva Sitwell, also known as Agent Shadow, was awarded - in addition to the M.O.H. - a 'Distinguished Service Medal', for exceptionally meritorious service to the Government in the face of immense responsibility. The N.I.A. also awarded her with a 'National Intelligence Cross' for obvious gallantry, extraordinary heroism and courage, above and beyond the call of duty, in the face of a significant and known risk.

Major Kyle Wilson was promoted to Lt. Colonel and along with General Caldwell, received the very same awards as Agent Shadow for exceptional service to their country.

* * *

A few matters remained unresolved in the lives of the President's team. Officially, they'd been returned to their original positions in the S.G.C. Only Agent Shadow had been left to decide whether to remain in her country's service or to retire and live in the Pegasus Galaxy with Samoa and Eloisa. If she chose to serve, Eva would be given command of Atlantis' new Beta Site, which didn't sound too bad, but the catch was that stealthy, off-world missions would entail collaborating with Dr Rodney McKay when necessary...

Both options seemed equally enticing, but issues between McKay and her had not yet been taken care of... and another problem was the unanswered question of: why she was really in the Pegasus Galaxy, with the exception of her marriage, which would determine her next move.

Unknowingly, McKay asked these questions because he couldn't quite suss out her demeanour or character. She changed 'colour' so much that it was confusing to know who she really was and why she had left her entire life behind to chase, a then-unnamed threat, despite the President requesting Eva's expertise and skills. She confessed half-truths and expected no one to question her any further. She was a shadow, transparent at the same time, with the help of her cloak.

* * *

\- Telcan -

Three weeks after Award's Ceremony: Present Day

The laughter of children and dogs barking echo through the town. People are going about their daily lives: working, selling, cooking and farming.

About half a mile out to the east, military personnel are training. The Daedalus' former base stayed in place, with its shooting ranges, obstacle courses, canvas tents, mixed with metal structures, and hand-to-hand combat areas, the entire vicinity occupying two square miles, amidst a thick forest.

Eva at the archery range, a secluded area somewhat deeper in the forest, practising. The range is equipped with the normal targets you'd find at a shooting range. An obstacle course, in addition to the range, has been specifically designed so that the archer can progress along a path amidst the forest to shoot any pop-up targets when they present themselves.

Patiently, she draws the arrow back on the bowstring and then releases, the arrow hitting the target 100 ft. away, just left of the centre. As Eva reaches for the next arrow in her sheath, footsteps, which she ignores, approach from behind as she proceeds to shoot at the target; this time placing the arrow a centimetre right of the bulls-eye.

"You know, the last time someone approached me in this same way, he ended up with a knife in his shoulder."

There's silence as Eva goes through the same routine again. Between the third shot, the figure comes up alongside her, and inserts its hands within its pockets when the arrow hits the target dead-centre. Her body shudders a little in anticipation of the conversation to come.

An awkwardness ensues between them, the rustling of the forest leaves the only sound that pierces through it every now and then. If it was up to Eva, she'd remain silent or else, would have left the spot by now - but this man standing next to her has something to say and it'll be better for them both if they clear the air between them rather than walking with it still hanging between them.

"Okay, listen... What I did had merit. I decided it would serve you better to be livid with me rather than with yourself... especially when you realised that eliminating Dallan would not make up for all the years he took from you."

"It wasn't for you to decide what I wanted or needed at the time and to shoot me was petty and cruel. So you claim to have protected me, is that it? Well, thank you, but no, thank you."

Eva sheaths her bow and takes a step back to look at McKay, though keeps her line of vision trained on the targets.

"Have you killed a man in cold blood when you have looked him in the eyes? Have you ever taken his life because you think that's the justice he deserves? To kill the Wraith, aliens, is different."

"What? No, of course I have not. No, just wounded men - but he was _not_ a man, he was a Shifter. He had it coming."

"Yes, but, unlike the Wraith and the Replicators, we have the means to humanize the Shifters. To have killed him... that would have been like executing your fellow men or women."

"What's your point? You're a Special Operations soldier _and_ a spy. Don't tell me you haven't taken a life before - and don't try to justify your actions by saying it was orders! That's bull."

"I'm not going to. Are you a scientist or a soldier? I chose to be in this profession... Have you done the same?"

He shouts as he turns towards her, "No!" Rodney is livid. "Dallan made me who I am now!"  
"Are you better for it?" She calmly asks.

"WHAT?" McKay breathes deep long breaths in an attempt to simmer down. "I don't understand."

Eva turns towards him and asks, "Are you arrogant, irritating or overbearing? Do you have to make your opinion known all the time? Do you want to show off every invention when it's completed? When was the last time you had to come up with new ideas involving your work?"

He mulls over her questions but before he can answer, she continues with, "If you met me before I took this mission, you wouldn't have expected this conversation. I would have annihilated the threat the first chance I got. The Shifters would be no more and Dallan..." She starts laughing, catching Rodney off-guard, "Well, let's just say I would've made him suffer for what he had done to Lenora and to Leta, my source, before eventually killing him."

"So what is different now? You're still in the military. You've accepted the President's offer to be in Command and do off-world missions... Why?"

"Part of my ruthlessness is due to the fact that I lost both my parents. My family was placed in danger because I wanted to be adventurous, to be a spy and seek out new missions. It caught up with me and in my overconfidence, I exposed myself to the enemy. My parents lost their lives to protect me. I received retribution for their blameless deaths... but it still ate at my being every time I progressed further in my missions. Whenever I was away and had left everything on Earth behind so I could go after a ruthless threat... No one really knew me and no one dug deeper like they did when I first joined the S.G.C because we were all in so deep..."

A sorrow spills from Shadow at the reminder of her parents' death a few years ago.

"I bet that angered you... someone prying into your personal life, especially if it contained this kind of hurt."  
"Yeah, it did. They still don't know the real me but despite it, they continue to trust me."  
"But there is someone who does know you..."

"Yes, the Telcans saved my life for no apparent reason. They portrayed family-like characteristics, which kept me coming back for more... and the more I did, the more I realised why my family had sacrificed their lives for me in the end. Samoa and Eloisa just... they fully understood me."  
"They lost their parents too?"  
"Yes, to the Wraith... five years ago."

It was all starting to make sense to the scientist.

 _You never know who you really are until your world gets rocked and it's what you do about it that determines where your path leads to next..._

"Okay, so you tried to stop me from following the same path. You've gone from running off on adventures, to protecting those you most care about by steering them away from the hurt you once endured. Then, afterwards, you deal with the anger they direct at you. That's a massive burden to bear in order to protect people... That's nuts!"

Eva nods, agreeing with his assessment.

"It doesn't mean I agree with your method. You've chosen to take this burden upon yourself and, whilst it's encouraging to know you have my back on missions and so forth, don't think for one moment that I've forgiven you _yet_ for shooting me and then saving me from a so-called 'wrong decision'."

A smile appears on her lips as she takes his meaning.

"I know my method doesn't apply to every situation but I still believe we made the right decision. All the representatives agreed with the punishment afterwards, although in the heat of the battle, they clearly didn't. Their minds changed when a whole planet surrendered so quickly because then they saw the _real_ Shifters and not the ones Dallan had portrayed to us... You get what I'm saying?"

"Yes, they're easily moulded and influenced. Their actual weakness is not knowing who they really are, so they follow the one who has the greatest influence, no?"  
"Wow, you really are a genius."  
"Thank you."

Laughter is shared between the two of them, now that they've resolved some of their differences, though Dallan still remains a source of disagreement between them.

"All right, so where's this husband of yours? I wanna properly meet the man who broke through your shell."

 _A change of subject is needed, please._

"Hey! It's not a skill, it's an _art_."  
"No kidding."

Relief creeps over her features as she leads the way down the well-trodden path. If they are to work together on missions, a certain familiarity needs to be shaped.

"Follow me. He's busy training our soldiers over on the Archery obstacle course."

McKay sarcastically says in reply, "Sounds... exciting."  
"Yes, it's really amazing... Wait, you're joking, aren't you?"

Rodney replies with a nod.

"One thing you should know about me is this: any form of combat is handy in stealth missions because I won't be there to cover your back all the time. Just ask Wilson, he knows."

Rodney raises his hands in surrender before replying with a grin, "I know enough not to mess with you. I'm afraid you'll shoot me again if I do."

She answers playfully enough but there's a hint of sternness in her voice, "Watch it, with that reply you'll be doing this course - and for every target you miss, it's ten push-ups."  
"Whoa! Then I'd better shut-up."

A few minutes of bantering later, they reach Samoa, who welcomes them with a huge smile. He envelops Eva in a hug and shakes McKay's hand before he gestures for them to join him in his observation of the recruits. The trio stand in a horizontal line as they watch the performances.

After a while, Samoa looks in McKay's direction, who is standing to his far right, next to Eva, who's in the middle.

"I hear the Wraith are at it again."

Rodney jolts out of concentrating on the soldiers running and shooting amidst the forest trees.

"That's incredible! How do they do that, hitting each target accurately with an arrow? It would take me forever to reach this level of accuracy."

When he turns in Samoa's direction, he's met by two pairs of eyes, smiles curling their lips.

"What?"

"Sam just spoke to you."  
"Oh, sorry. What did he say?"  
"He said: 'You should listen more carefully'."

"No, he didn't." He smirks, then continues to reply to the actual statement, "The Wraith Todd has managed to talk Tyla into becoming a Wraith queen so that Dr Keller's gene therapy can be administered to help eliminate their need to feed on humans."

Surprise lines the couple's features, though Eva is the one to voice their thoughts, "Whoa, that's ambitious."

"Jip."  
"But wait, why are you here instead of helping them?"  
"I've got a system going and Radek is overseeing it. That's a first for me, I know, allowing him to take the idea further - but he's a good man and he's got the potential. Weird as it may be, I trust him. "

"Yeah, most definitely a first for you, Dr Rodney McKay. I guess wonders do happen."

They're rewarded with a smile, after which Samoa changes the subject, "It's nice to be in your company, Dr McKay, but please, tell us, is there something more you'd wish to discuss with us?"

 _How does the man do it? He's got to teach me that skill. Eva was right... it is an art! Even she seems surprised by his question._

"Yes, actually... I've come about our new mission, Agent Shadow... We're going on a hunt."

THE END


End file.
